A fearful and Impatience Student: Siddhi RPKM

As teachers, we must always teach students what is right and what is wrong. 

But sometimes children hold fear of a few things in their mind because they have seen, experienced or heard something inappropriate about them. 

Recently, a similar situation was faced by one of our teachers in her class. One of her students was not courageous enough to meet the mic, so whenever the teacher asked him to participate in such activities or to conduct the morning assembly with his peer group, he always tried to escape the situation by making excuses. It forced the teacher to find the reason behind his behaviour. She came to know that he fears facing the mic. He did not want to become a laughing stock to other students if he failed to talk flawlessly. 

This was a challenging situation for the teacher. She tried to encourage him and helped him practice how to face the mic and overcome his fears by taking the help of his parents, mirror, etc. 

The teacher also told him the benefits of speaking his heart out. Gradually, the child practised and learned how to face the mic. He overcame his fear. 

Advice to educators:

If you have a fearful student, you must try to understand the situation he/she might be going through. As a teacher, you should not impose your perspective on him/her. 

A teacher must try to motivate and encourage the child after listening to the child's perspective about his/her fear. An educator must be careful of his/her way of promoting the child so it doesn't feel insulting or uncomfortable for the child to face his/her peers. This may help an educator make a fearful child fearless and courageous to face future difficulties simultaneously.

An impatient student is more challenging to deal with than a fearful student. Impatient students are hyper and impatient. They must be trained gradually to wait and think before speaking or doing any task. They should be taught that everyone will get a chance to speak or volunteer, and they must be patient enough to wait their turn. Teachers should remember that two students with different needs and personalities should not be compared with each other, as every student is unique. 

As a teacher, we face many such situations in our day-to-day life. So, let's discuss one of them:

A boy in the class was very impatient as he used to continuously ask the dispersal time of every teacher or classmate every two to three minutes. He was always ready to go home; he never concentrated on the classroom discussions and used to be desperate about his after-school plans. Due to this, sometimes it was challenging to deal with him.

So, the teachers discussed how to deal with this situation and decided to interact with the child or his parents to find out why he behaved. The teachers came to know that he never wished to go to school. His parents used to tell the child they would have a party or go for an outing after he returned from school. It ultimately helped the teachers know the exact reason for such behaviour. 

So, the teachers started to comfort the child in the school by having different activities which developed the child's interest to come to the school and have fun with studies in another way.

Advice to Educators

My suggestion to all my fellow teachers is never to give up on any child and to give them your time. Patiently listen, understand the reason for their behaviour and not judge them just on their superficial behaviour. We, teachers, can make a positive impression in the minds and lives of our students- We can be their guides who help them become better human beings.

A story connecting courage and patience:

Throughout our teaching career, we have experienced many situations in which we have shown courage and patience for our students.

• A boy in a class used inappropriate language with his peers. Not only this, but he also warned them not to complain regarding his behaviour to the teachers.
• However, one of his peers gathered some courage and told the whole situation to the teacher. She patiently counselling the child without saying anything related to the incident.
• In this way, the child showed courage- to tell the truth to the teacher while the teacher maintained her patience and mended the ways of the boy who used to use inappropriate language to others.

Siddhi @ RPK School Moradabad

Sanskriti Tandon, Priyanka Ruhela, Lovely Singh, Swati Saluja, Soni Bhatnagar, Manjit Palit, Pooja Arora.

Courage and Patience: Prakriti RPKM

Patience is not very different from courage. It just takes longer- James Richardson

Situation 1- A fearful student 

As children explore the world around them, having new experiences and confronting new challenges are almost unavoidable for them. 

“Fears are common but they have to be dealt with early so they do not become extreme, persistent and develop into phobias”. 

Ways to deal with the situation:

In a classroom, there are different students with different behaviours and attitudes. Some are happy, cheerful, confident, responsive, active, inquisitive (sometimes inquisitive students are impatient), interactive, highly invested in studies, vocal, and punctual with the class work. Some are slow learners, underconfident, sad, fearful, silent, least interested in their studies, less punctual, and lacking in completing their assignments on time.

We as teachers have to strongly consider the concept of “ Individual differences” and understand that every student is different and possesses different strengths and weaknesses which have to be dealt with accordingly.

If we talk about a fearful student particularly, knowing the reason behind the fearful attitude of a student is very important. There might be multiple reasons:- 1. He might have done something wrong or might be involved in some wrongdoings or mischievous habits in school or outside. 2. He is not prepared for class and has not completed his homework assignments. The way to deal with a fearful student depends on the reason. In the case of reason 1, we have to counsel him and bring him back on the right track. As teachers, we have to build up that confidence level so that the student can share his actions with us. In the case of reason 2, we have to encourage him and make him aware of the benefits of studies, prospects, and what life he can live after studying and otherwise. Incident directly from the classroom: It was in the year 2022-23, there was a student who used to stay quiet and was scared most of the time. He was not able to express himself properly and was hesitant in even answering simple questions. After talking to his parents and his friends we came to know that his health condition was not good due to which he failed to study well and that made him fearful. We were successful in making him a more responsive and bright student by coordinating with his parents. We would like to share another story of a student who had a fear of swimming. He had a fear of deep water. One day, knowing his fear, he prepared himself to learn to swim. His motivation was to fight and save himself in adverse situations. He went swimming and was trying hard to learn it. Hardly three days had passed when another senior student who was swimming with him forced him to a depth of 16 feet and left him in the middle all alone. The senior wanted him to face the situation and overcome it. However, that student started drowning and almost lost his breath when he thought to try and somehow catch the corner. This was his last attempt. He started throwing his hands and legs just looking for the railing to catch it. Luckily this effort made him move towards the railing and he could reach the corner where he took a deep breath. This incident motivated him to learn swimming and at present, he knows every type of stroke in swimming and also diving. But here he was his own teacher, and the person who left him in the middle of the pool can also be called his teacher as he taught him to overcome his fear through hard work and sincere efforts. That senior student placed him in a situation of fear and let him think to himself how to fight it out. So with this story, it is beautifully conveyed that first and foremost the child himself is his teacher. Advice to Educators- 1. We as educators should be involved with our students not only on the professional front but at the personal front. 2. The concept of “Individual differences” should be followed because each child is different. 3. The educators should try to find the root cause of fear by taking help from the child and his parents. 4. Educators should prepare the child to face and overcome his/her fear.

5. Educators should involve parents. They should discuss and inform parents of their plans so parents can follow up accordingly at home. 6. Suggesting relaxing activities like meditation, yoga, etc. can help reduce stress. Situation 2: An impatient student and ways to deal with the situation: An impatient student might be impatient because of multiple reasons:- 1. He might not understand the concepts taught, making him impatient- We can deal with the situation by teaching the concepts clearly and providing him with the extra and individual attention that he may need. 2. It is his inborn nature or character trait– This type of impatience is difficult to handle and can be dealt with with a deep understanding of the child’s behaviour in different situations. 3. He understands the concepts well and he is impatient out of curiosity– This type of impatience can be dealt with easily by answering the student’s queries. It entirely depends on the competence of the teacher. There are many such incidents in our classroom where we deal with impatient students daily. There is a student who always comes up with queries, sometimes relevant and sometimes irrelevant. His queries are always related to the conceptual knowledge of the subject.

He has been a curious child from the start. With time, we have observed that there is a positive change in him. Now, he has become more sensible. Earlier he used to be impatient and restless but now he has become patient and calm. Advice to Educators:- 1. It is very important for us to be patient and calm while dealing with impatient students. 2. Knowing the root cause of impatience is very necessary. 3. Educators need to provide students with a comfort zone where they can open up and share their thoughts.

Prakriti @RPK Moradabad, India

Dhiraj Gupta, Naina Soni, Rekha Kapoor, Suman Singh, Naushaba Sami, Isha Sharma

Fearful Student and Impatient Student: Avighna RPKM

Dealing with Challenging Students 

Think of two situations where you as an educator were faced with (preferably natural)/ might face the challenge of dealing with: 

• A fearful student

• An impatient student

Q. How did/will you deal with the student? 

A) If it was a real-life situation, were you successful in helping him/her overcome their problem? 

B) What is your advice to educators who want to inculcate these values in their students? 

Situation 1: A fearful student 

There was a student who was very dull and a slow writer, it was really hard to even make her utter a single word. The teacher was facing a troublesome time while working with her. 

So after many counselling sessions, it was found that the child was being abused and threatened by her parents for being a dull student. They were using all sorts of strictness on that 7-year-old girl for not being a bright child. Once her palm was all tortured with a pencil tip and she showed it to her teacher and told her everything. 

The teacher talked to her parents and made them understand that not all students are perfect score holders and that their methods are unjust and cruel. They need to be patient and loving towards her if they want to see her perform well.

The violence had made her submissive. They understood everything and felt very guilty. After that, they stopped forcing her and showed her affection. Both teachers and parents started praising her for every little thing she accomplished. 

The results were all fruitful. After some time, she gradually improved and did better in her academics. She was finally feeling safe and appreciated as every child should. 

Situation 2: An impatient student. 

According to us, there are many situations we all have faced in our teaching journey. Here are a few examples of when we have witnessed impatient students: 

•When they're waiting for their exam results. 

•When they're waiting for a friend who's running late. 

•When they're stuck in traffic and running late for school. 

•When their computer or phone is taking too long to load or download something. 

•When they're waiting for a package to arrive and it's taking longer than expected. 

•When a student is waiting for the bell to ring at the end of the day but it's taking too long. 

•When a student is waiting for their teacher to grade their assignment but it's taking longer than expected. 

•When a student is waiting for their turn to speak during a class discussion but other students keep interrupting them. 

•When a student is waiting for their school's sports team to win a big game but it's a close match and the outcome is uncertain. 

•When a student is waiting for their turn to perform in school programs but they're nervous and anxious. 

A) If it was a real-life situation, were you successful in helping him/her overcome their problem? 

Yes, we all were successful in helping these students in overcoming such situations by - 

• Trying to understand the motives for their impatience and finding ways to help them manage their frustration. 

• Encouraging them to take a step back and consider the situation from a different perspective. 

• Suggest some mindfulness exercises to help them stay calm and focused. 

• Trying to find ways to make the waiting process more engaging and enjoyable for the student.

   For example, listening to music or reading a book while they wait. 

• Reminding them of the benefits of being patient and encouraging them to stay positive.  

B) What is your advice to educators who want to inculcate these values in their students? 

Create a supportive and encouraging learning environment. Teachers should be patient, understanding, and compassionate toward their students. They should also provide opportunities for students to practice facing their fears in a safe and controlled setting. Additionally, educators can use positive reinforcement to help build students' confidence and self-esteem.

Avighna @RPK Moradabad, India

Ritika, Shwetank Singh, Evon Anthony, Neeru, Saymeen, Swadha, Deeksha

A fearful student & an impatient student: Aadhya RPKM

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Situations where you as an educator are faced with the challenge of dealing with -

1. A Fearful Student 

2. An Impatient Student 

How did/will you deal with such kinds of students? 

As teachers, we deal with both kinds of students; In case of a fearful student, we can initiate the conversation. To understand the situation, we can do the following things: 

1. Asking about their fears - We usually  ask the child to speak up about his/her fears. What are the challenges or fears that he/she is facing? As teachers, we will try our best to help the student to overcome that fear. 

2. Connect with parents and ask them the reason- If the child does not respond about his/ her fears, we will try to connect with his/her parents to understand the actual reason behind the fearful behaviour of the child.

 

3. Identify the possible solutions- As teachers, we will try our best to find out the best possible solutions for helping the child. 

 

4. List the pros and cons of each solution- To remove the fear from the fearful student, we should make a list of all the pros and cons of the solution. It is to help teachers and the student to be mentally prepared for the consequences.

5. Create an action plan - To deal with such kinds of students, a teacher needs to prepare an action plan so the student can be more frank and outspoken to the teacher. 

6. Implement the action plan - After creating an action plan, every teacher must try their best method to implement the action plan. 

7. Help them to build self-confidence - To remove the fear from the fearful student, the teacher should be very open and frank. The teacher should  encourage such students to actively participate in all classroom activities. This will help the student develop self-confidence; His/her morale will also boost. 

Impatient Student

How to deal with impatient students- 

1. By praising them: By saying “Thank you for waiting so calmly for your turn”. For impatient students, it is one of the best ways to praise them to make them feel appreciated by their teachers. With time, they will self-generate this feeling of being praised and their habit of being impatient will slowly decrease. 

2. Help them to develop self-control - This method will be initiated by the teachers by keeping extra classes or some activities which will initially improve self-realisation and self-control among the impatient students. 

3. Motivate them to meditate daily to build inner calmness- It is one of the best and most important ways to deal with an impatient student. There must be 3-4 minutes of meditation sessions daily before starting the classes to help students develop inner calmness.

4. By telling them stories on how waiting for things sometimes makes us happier in the long run - We can deal with such kinds of students by telling them moral stories or stories which will prove beneficial for developing self-confidence subsequently leading them to become a good child with good moral values and positive attitude. 

5. Teach them to concentrate on learning rather than focusing on the outcome - To deal with such students, a teacher needs to teach them that learning is more important for them than the result or the outcome they seek in learning. We should teach them that learning improves their vision for achieving higher goals in life. 

Aadhya @ RPK Moradabad, India Deepa Khanna, Rachna Bisht, Asma, Farida, Sushma, Kulmeet, Krishangi.