This blog is written from the perspective of a secondary school pupil. It’s taken from a combination of experiences from, and the thoughts and feelings of, children I’ve worked with, along with personal experience too.
The teacher pauses and looks around the room. Several hands shoot up. Not mine though. Mine stays down, not because I don’t know the answer, I do, but my words aren’t ready just yet.
In every class it’s always the same; hands that shoot straight up to answer a question, most of the time before the teacher has even finished their sentence. But this isn’t the case for me. My hand rarely goes up, my voice stays quiet, and my thoughts and ideas never quite make their way out of my head and into the room.
I’m not being lazy. I’m not actively choosing not to take part. Just because my hand doesn’t shoot up doesn’t mean I don’t know the answer, or that I don’t have anything I want to say.
It isn’t that I didn’t understand the question. It’s that I’m still trying to work out what’s being asked, how to answer it, and how to put my thoughts into words – but before I get the chance someone else has answered and the lesson has moved on.
I know that my silence probably looks like I’m not interested, or like I don’t actually know what’s going on. But I do! I just find it harder than some of my friends to turn my thoughts into something that sounds right when said out loud.
There are things that happen in classrooms that don’t look like a problem from where the teacher is standing. But from where I’m sitting, at my desk, these things can make answering questions or joining in feel impossible!
One of the worst things for me is when an adult puts me on the spot. The fear of hearing my name tumble out of their mouth is enough to make my mind go blank. My heart races, and my chest tightens, and suddenly the answer I knew disappears.
Telling me to “have a go” doesn’t help. My words feel stuck, and I may only manage some key words or a broken sentence. When an adult says, “Use your voice!” or “Talk in full sentences!” I want to, but I don’t actually know how to at that specific time.
Others seem to have it all sussed. They know how to put answers together, how to sound confident. I wish I found it that easy.
I worry about getting things wrong, about saying the words wrong, or not understanding questions properly and looking silly in front of the rest of the class. I know that the teachers aren’t being unkind, but being corrected in front of other people really knocks my confidence, staying quiet feels safer!
There are some things that adults can do to help me feel more confident to “have a go” and join in. I feel better when they:
- Give me more time to think before asking me for my answer
- Give me some time to think in silence. It really helps me concentrate when it’s quiet, please don’t keep talking when you’ve asked me to think
- Let me discuss my thoughts and answers with the person sat next to me before having to share them with the class
- Write down an example of how I can start my answer and make sure it’s left up so I can see them when I’m feeling a bit stuck and don’t know how to get started
- Give us roles when you want us to discuss something in a group, like ‘presenter’ or ‘challenger’. This helps me feel more confident to join in as I have a specific job to do… otherwise I find it hard to be included, I’ll often just sit back and let the more confident kids talk
The classroom will feel like a safer place for me to join in with these little changes. Sharing my ideas will be easier. I will still have speech, language and communication difficulties, but I will have more opportunities to show what I’ve learnt, join in with my classmates, and prove that sometimes I had the answer all along. I just needed a bit more time.
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Secondary school can be a daunting experience for students with SLCN, but it can be especially challenging for those who find everyday interactions difficult yet are unsure why.
It’s never too late to spot SLCN. That’s why our therapists have created a package specifically designed to support secondary-aged pupils. Secondary Language Link helps schools identify language and communication needs through standardised assessment and provides immersive interventions to develop pupils’ skills, confidence and participation.To start your free trial, click here.