How to Get Students to Ask for Help When They Need It

Humans are social creatures, hardwired to take cues from others. If students don’t see classmates asking for help, they assume they should avoid it too. But when help-seeking becomes visible in the classroom, it starts to feel natural. In this episode of School of Practice, high school teacher Cathleen Beachboard explains how she rewrote the script with her students to make asking for help not just acceptable but expected. Bonus: Once this shift happens, students won’t just ask more questions, they’ll start answering them, too. Related resources: Why Students Don’t Ask for Help—and How to Change That Building Problem-Solving Skills Through ‘Speed Dating’ Why Kids Are Afraid to Ask for Help Pint-Sized Public Relations: The Development of Reputation Management “Why didn’t you just ask?” Underestimating the discomfort of help-seeking The School of Hope