A term I have learned to use often with my students and support is "leaning into discomfort." I believe it is important for every student, including adults, to bridge out of their comfort zone to help them grow as people of the community. While this may be easy for some, it is often hard for many especially if they are used to a structured classroom. To further support my students I begin by getting to know them. If the teacher-student relationship is not established it can create a lack of trust that limits the student's ability to challenge themselves. If a student feels a sense of community and the ability to express their identity they are more likely to be vulnerable and share their fears with the instructor. By understanding their comfort level I as an instructor can work to understand where their fear is coming from and how we can best achieve overcoming it.
For example, on day 1 of the School Overnight Program week I asked students to fill out questions in their journal to give me an opportunity to get to know them. One question asked, "what is one thing I should know about you?" As I read the student's journal responses I noticed one mentioned their fear of the dark and not wanting to go on the night walk because of it. To challenge this student to overcome this fear, I blindfolded the students during the day for a "night walk." While it was not full darkness because it was light outside, it pushed the student to experience the campus without one of their main senses. This activity built greater trust in my instruction as the student got to experience the type of walk we would do during the night. That night, they experienced the night walk for real and the student expressed their excitement at the end of the night as they had not felt in the beginning they would be able to achieve it.
With instances such as this I work to ensure students feel connected to their group and develop a sense of trust. As a result students often work to push themselves past their comfort level. It is our work as instructors to ensure the proper scaffolding is built for their success.