When the teacher asks a question in class, Wang Xiaobin never raises his hand and this situation is very common at middle schools. This 15-year-old boy always waits for other classmates or the teacher to give the answer. “What if my answer is wrong?” Wang asks.

    Wang said only six or seven students in his class raise their hands when a question is asked. ①“I think it's a problem that may affect (影响) our studies, but I am afraid of making mistakes in front of my classmates,”he said.

    When we asked the teacher, Hu Wei, why the students didn't raise their hands, he said, “They lack (缺乏) confidence, they are afraid of showing off, or they're afraid of losing face by giving wrong answers.”

    To encourage students to raise their hands in class, Hu suggests that teachers should repeat the question, then try to guide and encourage students to offer their answers. ②Hu also advised students not to be shy, but brave enough to try.

    Sun Pin, 16 of Fujian, always raises her hand as soon as she comes up with the answer, even if she isn't sure she has gotten it right. Sun can't understand why some of her classmates keep silent in class. She enjoys raising her hand a lot. “It keeps me enthusiastic(热情的) and confident to express my idea,” Sun said. “Raising my hand has really made me excellent.”