You can visualize success for students and help them to do the same. Sometimes, students have difficulty visualizing themselves succeeding. Through your language, invite students to go into the future and experience what it is like to have already succeeded in what they are doing.
A woman on a plane once taught me Sudoku, saying, “After you get really good at it, you will do puzzles like these” (she showed me one that looked really complicated). She was helping me to visualize the future, seeing myself having already mastered Sudoku puzzles and working on ones that were even more diffi cult. When you say “after,” you are presupposing that the student will definitely be doing the things that come after it.
• “After you have learned this, what else might you enjoy learning?”
• “After you have done everything that you identifi ed as necessary to achieve your goals, how will you feel about having been successful?”
• “After you have achieved your dreams and even more than you ever thought possible, what will your life be like?”
• “After you have put away your materials, you will have a clean desk.”
• “After you have studied for your test, you will be able to make a good grade.”
• “After you have written your paper, you will feel really good about what you have accomplished.”
• “After you have overcome your habit of procrastinating, you will be able to do anything that you want to do in your life!”
Potential Functions for This Tip: Teaching, Planning for the Future, Responding to Objections, Encouraging Students, Influencing Students, Resolving Conflicts
“And” or “Yet”—No “Buts”
How do you feel when you hear the word “but”? You probably brace yourself for what might be coming. The other shoe is about to drop. We tend to negate everything that a person says before they say “but”; the word cancels what came before (Hall, 2004).
• “You did a really nice job, but . . .”
• “I like that, but . . .”
• “You could go out to recess, but . . .”
The next time you are tempted to use the word “but,” replace it with “and.” If “and” doesn’t fi t, use “yet.”
• “You did a really nice job, and . . .”
• “I like that, and . . .”
• “You could go out to recess, and . . .”
On the other hand, you can also use the word “but” to your advantage.
• “I don’t know how to do this.”
• “But you will learn!”
• “I am not succeeding.”
• “But you will get it soon!”
• “I can’t do this.”
• “But you did it the last time!”
Potential Functions for This Tip: Building Relationships, Teaching, Planning for the Future, Responding to Objections, Encouraging Students, Influencing Students, Resolving Conflicts.
“As . . .”
As you read this articles, you may find that you automatically think of students with whom you will use the various ideas and concepts. As you plan for tomorrow, you may notice those students applying all
that they learn and even more.
When you begin sentences with “as,” you link the first clause with the second clause. This also enables your listener to link the information in both clauses.
• “As you do this assignment, you may notice that you are learning even more.”
• “As you complete your work today, you may become aware of your growing skills and capabilities.”
• “As you read this assignment, you may notice just how quickly you are comprehending all that you read.”
• “As you move toward completing your degree, you may feel absolutely pleased with the many ways that you are progressing.”
Potential Functions for This Tip: Teaching, Planning for the Future, Responding to Objections, Encouraging Students, Infl uencing Students, Resolving Confl icts
“At This Time . . .”
Have you ever had different perceptions about the same situation at different times? We all do, depending on what we think about the situation at any given time.
You can help students realize that they will have varying views about their abilities and situations at different times. Yesterday, they might have perceived that they couldn’t do something. Today is a new day, and tomorrow is another new day. Do you recall ever thinking that you couldn’t do something that was important to you that you subsequently learned to do? Looking back now, the thought that you ever believed that you couldn’t do it seems fairly ridiculous!
Our perceptions about various events in our lives can also change from day to day. Use words about time combined with words such as “perception,” “seems,” and so on to help students realize that their perceptions are not set in stone.
• “So at that time, you had perceived that task to be difficult.”
• “So right now, you feel that you don’t yet know what to do.”
• “At that time, you believed that you couldn’t do it.”
• “So at this point in time, it seems like you don’t yet have the ability to perform the task.”
Potential Functions for This Tip: Planning for the Future, Responding to Objections, Encouraging Students, Influencing Students, Resolving Conflicts
Read More : Tips for Talking Effectively With Student - Using “After . . .” words
