Education is supposed to build confidence and support growth. It is also supposed to help children discover their potential. Unfortunately, one of the things that can undermine those goals is the habit of comparing students with their classmates.
Consider a child who is struggling to understand mathematics but, on the other hand, excels at creative writing. Instead of encouraging that child to improve, a teacher or parent might say, " Look at your classmate. Why can't you be like them? Those words may sound ordinary to some people, but to that child, they are harmful. They remind the child that he is not good enough, and that can hinder his progress in his studies.
Every child has a different learning pace. When a child is struggling with one subject, that does not mean he lacks intelligence.
When students are constantly compared with others, they may lose confidence in themselves. They might even become afraid to participate in class because they do not want to appear foolish. Some may stop trying to measure themselves against their classmates because they think they are not worthy. Such comparisons can also affect some students by causing them to develop hatred toward classmates they believe are being favoured.
The painful thing is that some children begin to believe the negative things said about them. A student who is repeatedly called dull may stop trying, not because he lacks ability, but because people have made him believe that his effort will never be enough. As a result, he may continue to act as though he is dull. As teachers, parents, and guardians, we must understand that education is not a race in which every child must arrive at the same destination at the same time. Children learn in different ways. Some students learn quickly, while others need more time, patience, and, most importantly, encouragement.
We should be very careful not to destroy a child's confidence while trying to motivate them. We just need to correct them without humiliating them and guide them without discouraging them.
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