Practice & Confidence

In a recent class, I had one of the most unplanned yet enlightening conversations with a student pre-session. Until early 2023, my understanding of a student arriving prepared for a session meant: arriving a few min to class & appear enthusiastic. This session was turning point; my student joined class fresh from their Tae-kwon-do class. I was (pleasantly) surprised because (1) I’d never predict this how my student would show up for class, and (2) I was actually curious about Tae-kwon-do — what’s the motivation to join? Where is the intersection between class and Tae-kwon-do felt? How underscored is that intersection? I dug deep with these questions.

I’ve found that the best teaching outcomes are as a result of good & earnest questions. On the latter quality, students are surprisingly good at smelling bs. One bit that caught my attention was when I asked him what it takes to advance through different levels – yellow, blue and all the way to black belt.

He took a pause, and looked me in the eye, and responded: “You need a lot of practice then confidence…” The student’s argument was that it takes practice come first, then confidence. My default assumption has been vice-versa, but what made the moment worth capturing is the conviction in which the student argued in.

I asked the student to apply what they articulated for that day’s class. I was optimistic, but also a tad skeptical. How dramatic would class outcomes increase with a high conviction 9-year-old leader? How soon before this strength reaches a point of diminishing returns? Either outcome was still a win for the class, especially for me. As I hoped for, the student had an unusual spike in instances of leadership which positively affected the student’s classmates. After the session, the student remained and reflected on those instances of leadership. Trying to wear the student’s shoes: Leading your excited/frustrated 9–10-year-old teammates is no mean fete, and admittedly needs a tae-kwon-do mentality.

Figuring out how important practice is as a condition (and enabler) for confidence was fascinating. It was even more amusing to learn such a nuanced concept from a nine year old.

The biggest responsibility for any educator/parent today is in identifying and nurturing such high conviction students. Or encourage students join class a few hours after Tae-kwon-do. Fair ask, no?