How to make college students braver

Website design By BotEap.comAs educators, we know that one of the best traits that can contribute to success is confidence. Doubt can kill dreams and a lack of self-confidence can deter anyone from reaching a goal and being successful. However, trust is often something we have or need at any given time. We need trust, even for the smallest things in the daily routine that we do. On the other hand, sometimes, we need courage to overcome a situation. Courage is pushing when things are difficult or create fear. For example, it may take confidence to pass the final exam, but it takes courage to pursue a degree program when it puts finances in jeopardy, reduces work-life balance, and all your support systems are stacked against you. to achieve this goal.

Website design By BotEap.comAs educators, we will see many students each year who need to develop their courage. They need our help and guidance on how to be brave in a time of fear or anxiety. Students face many life events throughout their four or more years with us, and to help them achieve their goal of earning a degree, we must also provide guidance on how to be courageous.

Website design By BotEap.comHere are 3 ways you can guide students to be more courageous:

  1. Reduce fears and anxieties
Website design By BotEap.comIf you want your students to be more courageous, remember that as a teacher, your role is to teach, guide, model, and inspire, not to show students how difficult “the real world” is. Learning new content and balancing education with life is hard enough, there is no need to instill fear on top of this. As a bonus, as you minimize fears and anxieties, and students progress, they build confidence.

Website design By BotEap.comTo minimize fears and anxieties in your students, there are several things you can do, here are some tips:

  • Set course expectations in advance.
  • Link students to helpful resources.
  • Give them advice on what to do if they run into technology problems.
  • Provide your contact information and answer emails/calls in less than 24 hours.
  • Allow some leeway in case a student has a major life event during a specific week.
  • Humanize yourself. You can do this by sharing a bit about who you are personally, making videos in the classroom, using humor, building rapport.
  • Do not give negative comments in the open forum. Use personal email or gradebook comments.
  • Give feedback on assignments and discussion questions. This helps the student know what they have done well and where they can improve. No feedback leaves students in the dark as to what they can improve and how.

  1. Encourage students to focus on what they can control
Website design By BotEap.com In a classroom, you are the authority. Students may feel intimidated at times or feel that they have limited power. Maybe they don’t like the content, they don’t understand it, or they have personal problems while trying to manage their education. As a teacher, if you want to increase your student’s courage, help them focus on what is within their control. This will help students persevere in the face of adversity or trial because they will realize that they are not completely powerless.

Website design By BotEap.comHere are some tips you can share with students to help them take control of their education:

  • Give students tips to avoid procrastination.
  • Share resources on how to balance work and life
  • Give students tools on how to achieve better time management.
  • Help students be intentional about their learning. You can provide them with assessments that can help them better understand how they learn. (See the Learning Connections Inventory (LCI) through Let Me Learn.)
  • Share school/university resources.
  • Educate students about the importance and how to build strong support systems and networks.
  • Teach students how to create SMART goals.
  • Encourage students to take an honest look at the people and activities in their lives. Then have them personally assess what or who might be best cut or kept to achieve those SMART goals.

  1. Teach communication skills
Website design By BotEap.comIt takes courage to do something when you are afraid or to move forward in case of pain and sadness. It is important for students to know that they are valuable and that they can use their voice to make a difference. By teaching students to speak up, you empower them to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others, and that often takes a lot of courage. In today’s society, the next generation online needs to be heard. They face extreme levels of violence and rage, but the power of speech can change that and create positive movement. As a teacher, you can also educate your students on how to talk about less socially involved topics, but which are still critical aspects of a student’s life; for example, how to defend a promotion or say no to outside tasks that don’t fit your goals.

Website design By BotEap.comHere are some ways you can help students improve their communication:

  • Educate students on the importance of various communication styles (formal, informal, verbal, non-verbal).
  • Provide tips on how to use social media, along with the pros and cons.
  • Provide guidance on how to listen and the value of patience.
  • Educate students on how certain words can be perceived as having doubts. (For example, note how often a student leads with “I think” or “I feel” in negotiations or business).
  • Model being respectful and discuss the importance of having an open mind.
  • Provide feedback on how to be clear and concise, but respond substantively to a question.
  • Share resources like books, articles, and videos on how to communicate with confidence.
Website design By BotEap.comBy raising students’ levels of courage, we are helping them persevere through the trials and tribulations that life throws at them as they take a leap of faith to improve their lives. As we build courage, we also build confidence. Courage and confidence are two key ingredients in helping our students achieve their goals, achieve their dreams, and earn their degree. It is in these amazing students and their achievements that we are fortunate enough as teachers to leave behind a bit of our legacy.

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