Learner Confidence

Learners won't learn things if they don't think they can do it.

Your job is to believe that they can.

If you are in the learning industry, and you can't bring yourself to believe your learners can absorb what you're teaching them, you're in the wrong job.

I'm serious. It's not fluffy wishful thinking. If no one thinks your learners can do what you're asking of them, why would they even try? Why would they put forth the effort? Why wouldn't they do something else that they are more confident in, instead of this thing that everyone knows they'll fail at?

Your job is to build their confidence. Even if it's one teeny, tiny, baby step at a time. Find something they already know that you can build on. Let them practice as much as they need with the most basic problems and slowly work their way up. Explain concepts from different angles, use different scenarios, use physical, concrete models and examples of what you're talking about.

And don't give up on your learners. You were a beginner once, too.