A Fearful Student
Fear is one of the seven universal emotions experienced by everyone around the world. Student fears are performance-based anxiety, fear of failure, fear of being laughed at, fear of public speaking, etc... This stems from cultural and familial reasons and individual responses to the environment and circumstances they face. While a teacher cannot immediately solve the deep-rooted fears that the child may have by providing an open, encouraging, friendly and trusting atmosphere in the class, the teacher may be able to wean out the child from some of the fears that he/she may have. It becomes the responsibility of the teacher to set specific rules on values, norms and behaviour that every student is expected to adhere to. Once the fearful child is put in this environment, we may expect him or her to overcome the psychological reasons for their fear.
A girl was hushed this academic year in my class and never volunteered for any class activity. Hence during the parent-teacher meeting, I asked her mother why she was so quiet and did not volunteer for any activity. After speaking with her mother, I learned that in the previous academic year, she forgot her lines while reciting a poem in the class, and her classmates laughed at her. This made her fearful of taking part in any class activity. I groomed her for inter section recitation competition, in which she did exceedingly well and has now been able to overcome her fear.
An Impatient Student
Impatience in children is another indicator of lack of confidence and self-belief, which they may often try to camouflage through bravado. Counselling the child about the virtues of patience will likely change the child’s attitude and behaviour.
I had a student who would snap at other children and criticize them whenever they made the slightest mistake. This made her unpopular with other children. After noticing her behaviour for some time, I realized that her conduct was just a put-on act to cover her own insecurities. Hence, I counselled her to display patience and be appreciative of others. Once she understood the virtue of patience, her conduct behaviour changed for the better.
Teachers should examine the cause of impatient behaviour in the child and then counsel them.
Ahlcon Public School
JOL Cohort 2022