What is learner discomfort?

“When a learner becomes conscious of their own performance – or lack of – that then can lead to them becoming anxious, which is an uncomfortable place to be.

So by “learner discomfort”, I guess I am talking about feelings of anxiety, worry or concern. A lack of confidence in the learner’s ability to participate in any meaningful way; to progress in any meaningful way.”

Now that we know what it is, how do we overcome it?

The four episodes below are from Fortress Learning’s series on teaching micro-skills called The Small Stuff.

In each episode, Fortress Learning’s founder Bryan offers some strategies that you can implement in the classroom to make learning a much more comfortable, and therefore more productive, experience.

#1. Brain Dump

In Part 1 of Overcoming Learner Discomfort, Bryan demonstrates how to overcome learner discomfort using a strategy called “Brain Dump”.

#2. Avoid Straight Lines

In Part 2, Bryan explains how to overcome learner discomfort by avoiding straight lines.

#3. Get Creative

In Part 3, Bryan explains how creativity can be a useful strategy when overcoming learner discomfort.

#4. Talk About It

In Part 4, Bryan discusses how to overcome learner discomfort by simply talking about it.

Interested in watching more of The Small Stuff? Click HERE to get access to the full series now.

Have you tried implementing The Small Stuff in your own classroom? How did it go?

We would love to hear about it. Don’t hesitate to reach out on our Facebook page HERE.

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