Kinderchat is a group of teachers from across the world that come together to discuss topics that directly effect children and the education process. Kinderchat meets every Monday night on Twitter, and is easy to follow. If you miss any day you can go to their archives and read through topics that interest you!
The chat I read was about how to support struggling students. As a teacher when identifying a struggling student, it is important to identify what kind of struggle your student is going through. There are two main types of struggle: destructive and productive.
A destructive struggle:
+ leads to frustration
+ makes learning goals feel hazy and out of reach
+ feels fruitless
+ leaves students feeling abandoned and on their own
+ creates a sense of inadequacy
A productive struggle:
+ leads to understanding+ makes learning goals feel attainable and effort some worthwhile
+ yields results
+ leads students to feelings of empowerment and efficacy
+ creates a sense of hope
If a student is going through a destructive struggle it is important to intervene immediately because this student truly needs your help. It is also to important to understand why the student is struggling with completing a task or understanding a concept. If a student is going through a productive struggle this isn't necessarily such a bad thing because the student grapples with the issues and is able to come up with a solution themselves, while developing persistence and resilience in understanding the goal of a topic.
As a teacher it is best to know how and why a student is struggling and when the best time to intervene is. By getting to know your students and how they learn you can help them through their academic struggles.
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