On Well-Being & Mindset

Belonging through everyday participation

Consider how routines, feedback and participation conditions affect children’s willingness and opportunity to use English. Avoid explaining difficulty only through effort or mindset: examine the task and environment too.

Read CAST: belonging and community and explore options for engagement. These are planning resources; the following activity is our own teaching proposal.

Review a routine

1. Choose a fictional routine: answering without preparation, reading aloud in front of the class or receiving correction.
2. Identify who has a meaningful choice and who may find participation difficult.
3. Offer rehearsal, an agreed communication route or a more predictable turn-taking structure while retaining the language goal.
4. State what you would ask learners and observe before judging the change helpful.

Reflection: What can the teacher change in the environment rather than asking the child simply to be more confident?