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Teachers should provide students with opportunities to complete tasks independently so that they build self confidence. Students will be more active and take the initiative more frequently when they receive attention and appropriate encouragement from the teacher. Their confidence accumulates gradually.

Around noon on May 20^t, we observed an Integrated Practice Class at Xiaochao Primary School. It was the third part

Rehearsing the phone call.

of a project called “Hand in Hand, Heart to Heart” and the theme of this particular class was “The Relay of Love.”During the class, each student wrote a letter to a student from a school in Chaijia Village located in an impoverished area of Gansu Province. They also planned to send the money they had fundraised to help the school.  However, as the exact address, zip code, and recipients’ names were still unknown, it was necessary to call the school in Chaijia first. Normally, it would be the teacher who makes the call. However, Xiaochao Primary School is one of RCEF’s partner schools and they share our value of student-centered education. Not only is the development and personality of every single student emphasized, but practical experiences are promoted as a valuable source of knowledge and skills. Therefore, during the group lesson planning time, some of the teachers suggested that the students might simulate making the phone call first. During the simulation, they could learn important tips for calling a stranger and what to say during the call. In the end, the students with the strongest oral skills would make the final call. Sara Lam, RCEF’s Co-Executive Director, did not agree with the plan. Her reason was that students with better oral skills were the same ones who had already made the presentation during the fundraising campaign. They already had plenty of opportunities to practice. Instead, students who are relatively shy or who have not made speeches before should practice the phone calling situation and other students could then vote from among them who would make the final long distance call.

Actually, we were worried about Sara’s plan at the very beginning. It is not an easy task for a primary school student to explain him or herself clearly to a teacher far away who is a complete stranger. The teacher, Ms. Zhang Li, began the lesson with doubts. After Ms. Zhang announced that those without speech-making experience should come to the front and act out the phone call simulation, those students who had speech experience seemed dissatisfied, while the other students were too timid to go to the podium. Finally, after continuous encouragement from classmates and teachers, eight students stepped to the front hesitantly.

The first round of the simulation failed with the caller not knowing what to ask and the receiver not knowing how to answer. Witnessing the situation, Sara came to the front and encouraged the children: “Don’t be afraid. Be confident and brave. How about letting me simulate the situation with you?” During the phone call, Sara guided the student in how to ask questions. The simulation thus helped the whole class. Afterwards, the students were encouraged to act out the situation again. After several turns, the whole class came up with some suggestions about how to make the phone call and what content should be included in this specific call. The most delightful thing was that the boy who was the least willing to come to the front was selected as the representative to make the formal call. During the call, even

Classmates crowd around the boy as he makes the phone call.

though he was very nervous and spoke in a soft voice, he completed the mission and was rewarded with  applause. The smile on his face after hanging up the phone showed real happiness. I believe the memory of that applause will help this child establish more confidence and he will never forget it. It will help him face crises of self confidence in his future life. From the example, we can conclude that every student has the potential to perform whenever there is an opportunity. Bearing this belief in mind, the teacher should also be able to help students who have low self confidence.

As a matter of fact, all students are eager to express themselves and look for affirmation. Without Sara’s encouragement, little boys hiding in the back would not have gotten the task of calling a stranger. Neither would they experience the happiness of success.

Dear teachers, do your students also appear  passive or uninvolved in activities? If so, from now on, please provide opportunities for them and encourage them to take the initiative. If the student says: “I am not good at it. I will be nervous in front of people” you should respond: “Yes, you are brave. Just step to the front and I will admire your courage.”

The teacher should be a direct source of self-confidence for students. If your students are not as lucky as those from Xiaochao to have a teacher like Sara, could you be the person to empower them with confidence?

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