Effective Communication Strategies for Educators When a Student is Struggling

When a student is struggling, clear and compassionate communication is key. Learn how to implement communication strategies that create a supportive learning environment, foster student resilience, and guide students toward academic success.

As an educator, one of the most important roles you play is providing support to students who may be struggling with their learning. Whether it's a complex topic, lack of motivation, or personal challenges affecting their progress, students need more than just instructions—they need understanding and encouragement.

Effective communication in these situations can make a huge difference. It helps build trust, alleviates frustration, and empowers students to overcome their struggles. In the online education space, especially, where face-to-face interaction is limited, communication strategies become even more crucial for fostering student engagement and progress.

In this blog, we’ll explore key communication strategies that can help educators when their students are struggling, ensuring that both teachers and learners navigate challenges effectively.

1. Active Listening: The First Step Toward Understanding

When a student is struggling, the first step in helping them is to truly listen. Active listening goes beyond just hearing what the student says—it means fully engaging with their concerns, emotions, and needs.

How to Practice Active Listening

• Give full attention: In an online teaching environment, avoid distractions. Ensure you’re actively present when the student is speaking, maintaining eye contact (or the digital equivalent) and not multitasking.

• Reflect back what you hear: Paraphrase what the student says to ensure you’ve understood their point. For example, “It sounds like you’re having trouble with verb conjugations. Is that right?”

• Acknowledge emotions: If a student is frustrated or stressed, it’s important to acknowledge those emotions. Statements like, “I can understand how this is frustrating for you,” validate the student’s feelings and build rapport.

Active listening not only helps you identify the root cause of the struggle, but it also shows the student that their concerns are being heard and taken seriously.

2. Use Empathy to Create a Safe Learning Environment

Empathy is at the core of effective communication. When students are struggling, they may feel discouraged, anxious, or even embarrassed. As an educator, showing empathy helps to reduce these negative emotions, creating a supportive environment where students feel safe to share their difficulties.

Empathy in Action

• Avoid judgment: When a student admits they’re struggling, refrain from using critical language or making them feel inadequate. Instead, emphasize that struggle is a normal part of learning.

• Offer reassurance: Encourage the student by highlighting their strengths or past successes. For example, “You’ve done really well with vocabulary in previous lessons. Let’s work together on this challenge, and I’m confident you can do it too.”

• Share your own experiences: If applicable, relate a time when you struggled with a similar task or concept. This can help normalize their experience and build a stronger teacher-student connection.

By approaching the situation with empathy, you not only help ease the student’s stress but also create a safe space where they feel comfortable seeking help.

3. Clarify and Break Down Instructions

Struggling students may have difficulty following instructions or understanding complex concepts. To address this, break down the material into manageable chunks and explain it clearly, using simple language.

How to Clarify Instructions

• Use step-by-step explanations: Avoid overwhelming students with too much information at once. Break lessons down into smaller, easy-to-digest steps.

• Use examples and analogies: Make the lesson more relatable by using real-world examples or analogies. For example, when explaining English prepositions, you might say, “Think of the preposition ‘on’ like a sticker placed on a surface, like a book or a table.”

• Provide visual aids: Many students find it easier to understand concepts with the help of visuals. Use diagrams, slides, or videos to illustrate the lesson. Tools like Loka provide features that allow you to integrate multimedia into your lessons easily.

• Encourage questions: Let the student know that it’s okay to ask for clarification at any time. You could say, “Feel free to stop me if something doesn’t make sense. I’m here to help.”

By simplifying and clarifying your instructions, you reduce the chance of confusion and help the student stay on track.

4. Encourage a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset, as coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and perseverance. Teaching students to adopt this mindset can significantly impact how they approach challenges in learning.

Fostering a Growth Mindset

• Praise effort, not just results: Instead of focusing only on outcomes, praise the student’s effort and progress. Statements like, “You’ve been working hard, and I can see the improvement!” motivate students to continue putting in effort.

• Normalize mistakes: Encourage students to view mistakes as learning opportunities. Use phrases like, “Mistakes help us learn. Let’s figure out what went wrong and try again.”

• Set achievable goals: Help the student set small, attainable goals that lead to bigger achievements. For example, “Let’s aim to improve your vocabulary quiz score by just 10% this week. I know you can do it.”

By cultivating a growth mindset, students learn to see challenges as opportunities for growth rather than signs of failure. This shift in perspective can help boost their confidence and motivation.

5. Offer Personalized Feedback and Support

When students struggle, generic feedback may not be enough to address their specific challenges. Personalized feedback allows you to target the root causes of their difficulties and offer actionable advice.

How to Provide Personalized Feedback

• Identify specific areas of improvement: Instead of saying, “You need to work harder,” pinpoint exactly what the student needs to improve. For example, “You’re doing well with grammar, but let’s focus on improving your writing structure.”

• Be constructive: Provide feedback in a way that encourages improvement. Avoid criticism that may demotivate the student. Instead, offer suggestions for how they can do better next time.

• Offer additional resources: If the student needs more practice, suggest extra materials or activities that align with their learning style. Whether it's worksheets, videos, or additional reading, personalized resources can help the student make progress.

Offering tailored feedback not only helps the student understand their mistakes but also shows that you care about their individual growth.

6. Be Patient and Flexible

Finally, patience is key when a student is struggling. Every learner progresses at their own pace, and it’s important to allow room for that.

How to Cultivate Patience and Flexibility

• Adjust the pace: If a student is struggling, it may be necessary to slow down the lesson or revisit material multiple times.

• Use positive reinforcement: Remind students that progress takes time, and celebrate small wins along the way.

• Be flexible with lesson plans: If a student is struggling with a particular concept, adjust your plans accordingly. You might need to dedicate more time to certain topics or offer alternative methods of teaching.

Patience and flexibility allow students to feel less pressure, knowing they can learn at their own pace without fear of falling behind.

Build a Supportive Learning Environment

When students struggle, effective communication is crucial in offering the support they need to succeed. By actively listening, showing empathy, breaking down complex concepts, fostering a growth mindset, providing personalized feedback, and maintaining patience, educators can help students overcome challenges and build confidence in their abilities.

Incorporating these communication strategies not only helps students who are struggling but also contributes to creating a positive, supportive learning environment for all. As an educator, your ability to adapt to and respond to students’ needs will make all the difference in their academic journey.