Why do you get stuck?
Well, of course, there are lots of reasons, but one common one is this...
First of all, imagine a learning activity as ... A RACE!
This is how it should be at the finish... Everyone finishes successfully.
So, at the beginning of the race, the teacher sets you off So, at the beginning of the race, the teacher sets you off. You know exactly what you have to do...
Sometimes it’s a wee bit difficult, – that’s ok ...
But sometimes it seems so hard you just can’t seem to manage it ...
So you sometimes get stuck. What can you do about it?
What can the teacher do to help you?
Well, the teacher could help you to do the bit you’re finding difficult ...
... or let you miss out the difficult bit...
... or make it a bit easier for you...
... or give you something to help you ... E.g. a help sheet, a glossary, picture prompts...
... or suggest a way to make it seem easier ...
... or show you how to do it in easy stages ... E.g. a writing frame, a grid for recording answers...
... or provide you with a piece of equipment that can help you ...
... but are there are things you can do to help yourself too ?
Well, you could cheat!
..though there are lots of other (more acceptable) ways that you can help yourself...
You could try persuading yourself that you can do it, you just need a bit more confidence, be prepared to take a risk ...
... you could go back over recent work and then try again ...
... you could try taking one step at a time and see how far you get ...
... you could try and get a better idea of what it is you are meant to be achieving ...
... you could make sure you’ve learned all the basic stuff that went before ...
... you could learn some new skills that would help you to cope better with things you’re finding difficult ...
...you could ask a friend to help you ...
...you could get some help from friends who found it easier ...
... Or you and some friends could work it out together ...
... that’s (at least) 15 different ways to make difficulties easier to deal with. Can you think of any more?
So, next time you get stuck...
What are you going to do about it?
Illustrations by Heather Clarke © Hilary McColl 2006 Illustrations by Heather Clarke By courtesy of MLG Publishing (Miniflashcards)