If you’re like every other student in the classroom, then you may have difficulty when it comes to participating in class. Why is that? Is it a fear of rejection? Unfortunately, there’s a lot of intellectual competitions in the classroom which should be avoided at all costs. That is the very reason as to why we don’t want to participate. It may be that we are deathly afraid of speaking in front of others in a classroom. All eyes are on us and judging our train of thought, a thought that is being forced out of you by a teacher or student. It is hard to think under pressure, isn’t it?

Participating in class is something that, as a student, you have to force yourself to do. Once you make that first step in participating then you will find that you have gained interest in the topic because you are now a part of it. You have a right to speak your mind, and you have the right to criticize another student’s opinion- but, not if it means that you’re putting them down or disregarding their intelligence. Fear is such a useless emotion if you think about it. We fear rejection, but we will never gain and grow if we do not take a risk.

While some of us may lack the common sense in taking a risk, there is a difference between risk and not thinking about your decision or statement before you make it. If the statement that you want to make in class is rightly yours and is justified without hurting anyone else in the classroom than what is the mind? Actively participating in class is you presenting your true colors to a group of students who are attempting to regain the same fabric and information as you. You may be helping someone out in the process of asking questions, and it may be an answer that makes or breaks your test grade.

Look at it this way, anyone who is incapable of not judging you and how you figure things out is totally unworthy of your time. Judging people based off the information that they don’t know is a self-esteem issue in itself. A teacher is THERE to teach you and answer your questions. Participating in class also means that you are conversing with other students as they are expressing their feelings as well. This will expand your ideas. It’s important to be unbiased in the class room; but, like anything politics will be involved.

There will be students who want to shine off of their knowledge for self-gratification purposes. These are unworthy students who cannot feel satisfied with who they are because they feel the need to show off or argue with anyone who illustrates an opposition in the classroom. Word of advice, don’t be afraid to speak your mind because if it weren’t for questions, we wouldn’t be where we are in the world with technology intelligence and communications.