Over this past weekend I went snowboarding with my dad. We noticed a women who was walking down the slope and carrying her skis. Being concerned, I walked over to her and asked if everything was okay. She responded by telling me she was not ready for a slope like this, was frustrated and was just going to walk down. I offered my help. Being on a snowboard she was probably questioning how I would help her ski, but I walked her through it. Showed her that she could use the whole mountain, take her time, and make simple turns. In conversation with her male friend, I mentioned how good she really was and was just freaking herself out. I decided to build up the women's confidence, telling her that she was doing great and applauding her efforts in the process of getting to the bottom. The process is the scary part, once you get to the product (bottom of the hill) you realize that you can do it! The two made it to the bottom of the slope and the women was really pleased with herself. I was pleased that I took the time to help her realize that she could do it. As I rode away, the man said "Thank you for your patience."
Upon reflection I realized how important it is to couple patience with confidence building. While students are learning a new concept, it is important to be patient with the learning process and build the confidence of the students. Praise the effort, not necessarily the product. Like I said above, the process is the scary and frustrating part so this is when we need to provide support. Teachers should be asking their students to focus on the journey and not the result - praise their efforts and you will see that their self confidence will build as they reach the product. A good author to research this idea, of process and not product, is Carol Dweck.
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