Being STUCK!

         Chapter 1, Everyone can Start, I connected to numerous things, especially being stuck. A quote that stood out to me is, “Write down Stuck! Recognizing that you are stuck is the first step towards getting out of it,” on page 10. The TED talk with Jo Boaler, states the importance of being stuck and how your brain grows when you make a mistake in math as you produce new synapses. Students have a hard time confessing when they are stuck or wrong, as society portrays failing as a negative thing. In reality, being unsuccessful develops our learning by being in a state where we retain more information and knowledge. In one of my classes, we discussed how the brain is shaped by cognitive processing activities, and being unsuccessful at processing information develops new synapses. When we view failing negatively, some individuals have a hard time reaching out and asking for help, especially students. When working with students, their emotional state is very central to take into consideration when you are creating a positive learning environment. It is essential to make students feel supported and comfortable in reaching out where there is no judgement. Once students feel comfortable asking for help, their learning and motivation in learning will increase. 

         Transitioning from grade 8 to grade 9 is one of the biggest transitions students will encounter. From my experience in Grade 9, I was too nervous to ask for help. I felt embarrassed and felt like all the “cool” kids would make fun of me, but as I got older I realized being stuck isn’t a bad thing. I started to learn the importance of getting things wrong.  Chapter 1, Everyone can Start, discussed how it is a great opportunity to learn by gaining a stronger understanding. I remember my dad always saying “It is better to ask for help and learn from your mistakes. Therefore, you can understand your mistake, before being tested on it.” After that, I started to ask for help and asked more questions to guide my understanding when I am stuck. This is an important value for teachers to teach, that being stuck is normal and to view it positively. Teachers need to explain how failures improve information recall and critical thinking. When students are confronted with failure, it makes them feel ashamed, overwhelms and feels that success is too far out of reach. If teachers can help students refined what a mistake is, we can teach them a valuable lesson about improvement and learning. Being stuck doesn’t only improve our learning, but builds resilience and to achieve great success, students must know what resilience is and teaching students to not give up.  

        A good example of when I was stuck, was in my grade 12 Biology class. My teacher did everything to help me understand the concept. I spent the majority of my spare time in my Biology classroom trying to understand the material. She would explain it in many different ways, but even with all those different explanations, I still didn’t understand and felt defeated. After all of this, she finally asked how I learned. Therefore, the next day she came back to class with a real-life model and explained it visually to me. After that explanation, it stuck with me. To see the hard work and effort my teacher put in to make me understand this context, incorporating my learning style meant a lot to me. If I didn’t admit I was stuck, I wouldn’t have understood the concept. This is how being knowledgeable and personal is beneficial in delivering your material, because you can describe the lesson in multiple ways. 

           When I meet a question I don’t understand, I circle it and come back to it later. Therefore, I don’t get stress or overwhelm myself. In EDBE 8P72, I learned that once a student is frustrated with what they are learning, it blocks their experience from learning new knowledge. Therefore, it is important to teach students it is alright to accept when you are stuck. Chapter 1, Everyone can Start, it stated that once a student accepts they are stuck, it allows ideas to flow more freely, and allows them to develop critical reflection skills that are vital in everyday living. Reflection allows for new learning opportunities in reviewing what you have done, how you can make it better, learn about yourself and the nature of thinking. Teaching students that it is alright to be stuck will help them in other situations that they are nervous to ask for assistance. Therefore, it starts in the classroom! It is our job to allow students to know being stuck is a positive thing and to stay away from the stereotypes that display failure as a destructive thing. 

            Asking for help and guidance are some of the key traits in being successful! Therefore, when I came back to the question I am stuck on, I asked myself guiding questions, “What do I know” or “What am I looking for”. With the information and my previous knowledge, I can figure out the question. Therefore, whenever I am stuck I feel calmer because I have all sorts of strategies to pick from to make me successful. That is why teachers need to provide valuable resources that will make their students succeed and gain confidence when they meet a hard question. This blog is a good transition into next week's blog as it will talk about different strategies to help your students succeed and not being scared of being stuck! 

TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3icoSeGqQtY&vl=en