How to Improve Your Student’s Confidence

As a tutor, it is very important to understand that your job is just not about helping a student get higher academic grades. It’s also about increasing their confidence. There are studies that show a change of confidence often shows evidence of learning.

There are two powerful methods in helping a student develop the needed confidence about their academic studies.

The first method involves reviewing the old materials and filling in the gaps to aide in the understanding the subject. The second method is teaching the material ahead of class.

Fill in the Gaps

Sometimes, it is good to go back and review the previous material with the student. This is important because it is often one of the biggest reasons why students don’t understand the current material they are being taught. When you go back and review the previous material with the student, what you are doing is helping them with things that they may have missed or don’t understand prior to moving forward with additional learning material.

For example, in order to solve for certain mathematical equations, you must first be able to multiply. By helping the student with understanding multiplication, then moving onto assisting them in solving for the equation, you are aiding them with filling in a missing piece – the gap. Your ability to help students fill in such gaps will automatically increase their confidence and more importantly make the material easier for them to comprehend overall.

Teach ahead of the class

Teaching ahead of class is another method that can be used to increase the student’s confidence. Some students don’t feel comfortable raising their hand or asking questions in class when presented with brand new material. When you teach the material prior to the student learning it in class, what you have done is helped them to be prepared for what will be discussed in class. So if that student does have questions, they will feel confident in speaking up and feel comfortable in asking additional questions in class to further enable their understanding.

Once again the student’s confidence will increase resulting in better academic performance. More importantly, the student will hopefully have a better understanding of the material when it is introduced in class.

Either method can be used. It is just depends on what is appropriate for the student and which approach works best for them. The goal is not only academic excellence but confidence as well.