an
of this phrase, also known as ghost children. It’s basically that
quiet child who blends into the background, never causes any trouble
and just gets on with things and goes with the flow.
They are called invisible as teachers spend 80% of their time
preoccupied with the "naughty" or "bright" pupils. This is a real shame
as those invisible children probably have the most potential who just
need to be challenged.
Ways to bring these children into the foreground include:
Give pupils responsibilities such as handing out books,
being a tool monitor etc.
Ask them to read out a passage of some text (many pupils
have surprised me with this at how willing they are and welcome the
chance to be in the limelight!)
Target these pupils in question and answer sessions
Hold up creditable work these pupils have done and use
them as positive examples
Have a little chat with them before or after the lesson
about their interests and hobbies
So next time you look around your classroom, make an effort to have a
conversation with these children, ask them how their day was, what their
favourite subject is, praise them on their amazing drawing etc. I know
it works as I've seen the difference first hand! I chose a selection of
invisibles from my classes, made a conscientious effort to bring them
into the limelight and now some have really managed to come out of their
shell! It won't work with everyone, but it’s rewarding seeing
pupils blossom and feeling that smugness in knowing that you have such a
positive effect on a child’s life!
