My Quiet Student Started Speaking Instead of Crying
Witness the evolution of a timid student into a confident learner through teachers’ patient guidance and unwavering support.
Hello, my friend! I have a wonderful story to tell you. Some science-related events took place in my school today, and the photo in the title is the most recent one. But this day is important to me because of something else. I want to tell you about the girl, my student, who didn’t talk to me before.
➡️Click here if you would like to read the previous story about the girl.
To recap briefly, I had a 12-year-old schoolgirl crying in front of me a month ago. Today I finally got to see her in my classroom. Here, let me tell you how it went.
Polar Bear and Little Birds
After a short break in July, we went back to work on August 3, but it wasn’t until today (August 18) that I saw that girl in my classroom. I should say that I was worried for a moment that she might not be in my class anymore.
This made me feel bad like I had done something wrong. I thought about what I did over and over again and came to the conclusion that it was the right thing to do.
When I needed to feel better, I reminded myself that my coworker and I did everything we could to make the child feel safe and important. Our effort probably reached her, making the student feel important to us. Because last week, she started speaking with my colleague and showing respect more confidently.
It’s important to highlight that Thailand maintains a strong hierarchical structure and places significant value on the teaching profession alongside its rich traditions and culture. Within this beautiful nation, a customary practice involves students positioning themselves lower than their teachers — for instance, on the floor — when called over by the teacher.
Similarly, as students walk past a seated teacher, it’s customary for them to bow slightly, not necessarily to the level of the teacher’s head, but in a manner that signifies their display of respect.
This is especially important to know for those readers who come from other cultures and are new to this way of showing respect. In addition, when a student makes a mistake or misbehaves in any way, it’s befitting for them to kneel down before their teacher as an act of contrition.
Even though I’ve been teaching at the same school for years, I know that following Thai traditions might make some of my students feel a little weird in front of me — a foreign teacher. As a general rule, I offer my students a chair as a sign of respect. However, in the great majority of situations, kids prefer to sit on the floor. Perhaps they wish to show their respect for me in this manner, or maybe they are accustomed to sitting in the lotus posture and are just at ease with it.
I realize why the traditional practice makes sense from a practical point of view. When students sit on the floor, teachers can see the whole class. This makes it easy to spot anyone who might not be paying attention.
When my curious students sit around me, I feel like I’m a big polar bear to them, and they’re like little birds to me. Sometimes they’re not so little, though.
Speaking of my quiet student, today was the first time she came to my class after the break. The early bird, with a relatively huge rucksack, arrived before her classmates. She cautiously averted her eyes and sat down in the second row, despite having been a front-row regular. And with that, I started my lesson.
During my teaching, I sneakily watched what she was doing out of the corner of my eye. In the big picture, everything seemed fine. She worked hard to write sentences about the topic of the day. This time, I had my students speak a few sentences at the end of the lesson, some short phrases like “I wake up” and “I eat breakfast.”
The class was easy-going — time was flying.
We were getting close to the end of the lesson, and about five students were still there. There were four of them who didn’t seem to care much, and then there was this one girl in the picture below.
I didn’t try to call her directly this time because I knew I needed a subtle and gentle approach. Yet, I was surprised when she got up from her seat.
As she trembled and motioned toward the white bear figurine, I noticed a spark of curiosity in her eyes. It was as if she had found something that sparked her interest. The girl sat on the chair like a delicate bird. In an unexpected turn, she even started to chirp something softly in English.
It was a breakthrough moment, not just for her but for me as well. As a teacher, there is no greater joy than seeing a student who was once silent and withdrawn blossom into a confident and engaged learner.
She was a little glow, the size of a small sun, pulsing and sending out sheets of red and gold; as if the light were water. A bouquet of joyous emotions swirled through the classroom, a mix of hope, anticipation, and security that filled the learning space.
My quiet student started speaking.
This case serves as a reminder of the beautiful connections that form when we approach education with empathy and open hearts. Everything worked out well in this situation, but that’s not always what happens.
Anyway, such behavior was typical of my student, and other teachers noticed her shyness. So it’s doubly rewarding when a student feels more confident with other colleagues, too.
It’s a good thing that it ends well.
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