What to say to your student when things get tough

Has someone ever said to you, “Just try it, it’s easy!” and then you found out the task they coaxed you into trying was painfully difficult? Did this leave you feeling exceptionally capable or downright stupid…and embarrassed?

When this happens to the average adult, it doesn’t take long for them to conclude two things:

  • This person who’s trying to help me is nuts…and definitely not to be trusted!
  • Why should I try if I can’t even handle the easy stuff?

Quite frequently I overhear well-meaning parents and educators using the “Just try it, it’s easy!” approach in an attempt to urge a reluctant child into trying something they’re afraid of. When the child finds the task easy, all is right with the world. When they don’t, they’re confronted with the pain of seeing that they might be so slow that they can’t even do something really, really “easy”!

Keep reading to find out how to help motivate your student to keep working through difficult tasks.

Originally posted 2011-09-22 16:57:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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