A Student's Thoughts On: Forced Class Participation by WhateverHerNameIs

Personally, with teachers orbiting my life at nearly all times-- in home, at school, etc.-- I believe I’ve come to understand the why to it. The who they (innocently, I might add, absolutely no direct hate meant by this) think it helps.

And at times I try to sympathize. Understand, and work with it. Because after all I, at this time in my life, am a student. And students fall under teachers-- we listen to them, learn from them, and when done right I can attest to the fact our lives can absolutely be positively shaped by them.

Teachers can do incredible things. They can make incredible students incredible people, and the jobs they do and the things they deal with are unsurpassed.

I know that. I stand by that. I probably will forever.

But when you’re a student-- a kid-- with little to no vote on lesson plans and how your day will go… sometimes it’s hard to be so big in a situation. I feel as if we’re allowed to be the children we are, we should, can, and definitely always will take things to heart. We’re emotional, and all built different. And please, please please, teachers everywhere, try and understand that when you’re planning your day.

Because I’m thirteen.

I’m shy. And quiet. I’m not exactly famous for my constant participation or eagerness to share my thoughts with the class, and often I can go days without raising my hand. It’s just who I am. Guess. It’s just the way I’m wired. The way I tick.

And I can almost guarantee that you have a handful of students (or peers, if you’re not a teacher) in your mind that match that same description. The kids who mind their business, take their notes, and leave. We don’t cause trouble. More often than not, we’re probably good students. And when the bell rings we don’t magically turn into new people, we’re still us, so we’re probably good kids too.

But despite all that, I know it can be frustrating teaching shy kids.

I’m not desperately trying to relate to a demographic I have no knowledge on, either. Just in case you doubted me. I got you. I’ve definitely had, and do have, my fair share of quiet folk in my life, and I know how badly you can want to know what they’re thinking. What on earth could be going inside their head. Why they keep it to themselves all the time….sometimes, you really wish you could just magically make them talk. Which isn’t a super evil or anything. Of course, not. It’s normal! And there’s nothing bad about it.

So long as you understand that that’s just a thought.

An unrealistic, unachievable thought. Because you cannot change a person yourself. The second you start trying to is the second things go from normal to wrong, and the second my school day gets a little bit longer and a lot more unbearable. The class with the random participation clogs my thoughts and even when I’m happy, I’m anxious. Even after you called on me and my heart started pounding, I’m thinking about it. And it sucks.

Even if you’re not trying to change me, after a few months teaching classes and years of past experience you can probably pick up certain traits of certain kids and things that makes them uncomfortable. Things that stop their ability to learn, and do it comfortably.

You can probably tell I’m shy. You can probably tell randomly calling on me makes my stomach drop. And hopefully, you’ll probably figure out a way to teach me that isn’t random selection, because it’s not helping me, and it’s not benefiting you.

‘Oh, don’t be dramatic,’ the figmented opposing side may in my mind cries, ‘it’s not even that big of a deal. You have to participate in life anyway, they’re just trying to help you!!’

To that I say... I’m happy for you. I’m happy you’ve never experienced a full forty five minutes of downright panic because you’re afraid the teacher will shine a spotlight on you out of nowhere, and you’ll be unprepared. You won’t know the answer. The entire class will be waiting for you to do the simple task and you just can’t.

If I wanted to answer, I would have raised my hand. If I knew the answer, I would have raised my hand. If you think somethings else, talk to my parents. Talk to me. We can work something out. But I promise you, I promise you, randomly deciding I want to change my entire self and become an outspoken social butterfly has never helped me. Deciding to force me into talking will never help me. Justifying it by saying ‘oh, well, she’ll have to talk in the real world’ won’t help me, because middle school? High school? Aren’t my future. Middle school, and high school is my education. I should be learning, and when you’re teaching me, I am. But putting me in uncomfortable on the spot situations that I worry about all day because you want me to be someone else (being quiet is part of me) is not helpful.

You may not be able to relate to this but there is absolutely someone in your life who can. And please remember, when you’re teaching, you’re not teaching yourself. You’re teaching a group of thirty or so children/teens who are all different, all with the same range of emotions, and all deserving of respect in the classroom.

Please, let us teach you a couple things.

If you want to be a good teacher you need to recognize you are teaching a spectrum of wildly different students. I cannot attest to those unlike me, but they also deserve your attention, and if there is something that makes their lives worse in your classroom-- a teaching style that stops them from learning try and find your way around it. It’s just the right thing to do. We are all equals.

So, if you ever spot a kid like me, please make their lives a little less stressful. Just be careful who you call on. Please.

Sincerely,

WhateverHerNameIs