In the classroom, students who lack assertiveness skills may hesitate to share their thinking openly or ask clarifying questions when they’re confused, or allow a classmate’s bullying to go unchallenged. And teachers who lack these skills may struggle to set clear behavior expectations in the classroom or hesitate to seek support from coaches and principals.
In the classroom, students who lack assertiveness skills may hesitate to share their thinking openly or ask clarifying questions when they’re confused, or allow a classmate’s bullying to go unchallenged. And teachers who lack these skills may struggle to set clear behavior expectations in the classroom or hesitate to seek support from coaches and principals.
The “nice no,” setting boundaries, asking for time to think… these are all strategies that can help us and our students be assertive – that is, strong not mean.
In her latest Edutopia article, Morningside Center senior program manager Kristin Valdes invites teachers to guide students in discussing and trying out these and other assertiveness-boosting strategies. See it here.
See all of Kristin’s Edutopia articles here.