Confidence 121

What's confidence got to do with it?

While still at secondary school, I was asked to help a younger pupil with their Maths. Seeing the younger pupil grow in confidence and improve rapidly, I began to see how teaching could make a difference. 

After studying Science at university, I trained to be a teacher, completing my course at Homerton College, Cambridge University.

A lack of confidence was holding them back

Throughout my extensive teaching career, both in the UK and abroad, I noticed that a lot of children and adults lacked confidence and this was something I related with and understood. A lack of confidence was the thing holding them back. One child in particular stood out – at the beginning of the academic year, this child could barely complete any parts of a Maths test. However, through gentle questioning and encouragement, I realised that her understanding and knowledge was already there. Lack of confidence hindered her progress. During the year, I worked with this child, ensuring that her starting point was well within her capability and gradually showing her that she was really good at Maths. By the end of the year, with a huge increase of confidence, this same child had made so much progress, in her end of year test, she actually was ahead of her twin brother!