Helping a Student Build Confidence

Tengo una vaca. I have a cow. This was the passphrase of the month, which Jenna and the rest of the middle school Spanish class had to say to enter the language classroom. A cow plushie toy sat by the door to welcome them. Some students came in bouncing off the walls, some shuffled in while slumped over, and some were smiling and ready to go.  

But no matter how they arrived, all the children had to say the passphrase. It was the first step of the routine, which told them they were in Spanish class and needed to work together in the Spanish language.

At the beginning of the year, Jenna didn’t enjoy the switch to Spanish because she had difficulty pronouncing the words. But by midyear, Jenna confidently said the passphrase and was ready to complete the opening routine.

Knowing what’s expected

Jenna thrived on routines. The rest of the class appreciated the opening routine too. This was when we used the same Spanish phrases, and students knew precisely what was expected: from writing down homework, to describing the day’s weather.    

A favorite section of the opening routine included a short stretching and breathing segment. Ideally, this allowed tired students to gain more energy, while helping restless students to relax and focus. Previous students have told me they found this segment helpful and enjoyable. Even after leaving middle school, they will sneak some stretching and deep breaths into their high school classes. (And they still remember the commands in Spanish!) This is one of my favorite parts of class too. Stretching and a few deep breaths help to clear my mind, and I feel good. A teacher who feels good will be a better teacher.

Taking a different approach

I admit I sometimes had to take a few extra deep breaths to help Jenna. Even though I had a lot of classroom routines, sometimes they were not enough for her. Anything spontaneous could set her off, into meltdown or shutdown mode.

This once happened when her class begged me to play the song “Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Conveniently, there’s a Spanish version, so I happily obliged. Jenna even seemed okay with going off schedule. Everything went well until the students freely and loudly sang “Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches.”

The entire class was loving it – except Jenna. It was at this moment I realized Jenna hated loud noises! She covered her ears, and tears streamed down her cheeks as her classmates belted out “Peaches.”

The rest of the class was so into singing that no one, other than me, noticed Jenna. I took a deep breath, beckoned to her, and grabbed the vaca sitting by the door. Stepping outside with Jenna, I handed her the cow plushie toy and told her it didn’t like the song either. Could she please keep the vaca safe in the hallway until the song was over? Jenna was thrilled.  

Friend to other students

From that time on, Jenna took care of the plushie in class. The cow sat proudly on her desk. Together they focused on tasks. Jenna was keenly aware if the cow felt like working only with her, or if it was good to work in a group. And for class games – which neither Jenna nor the plushie liked – they became the best scorekeepers. And when the cow needed a break, Jenna would let me know.

Jenna graduated from middle school. But she kindly left the vaca for new students who, like she once did, focus better with help from a special companion.