Dealing With A Shy Child To Participate At The Class Activities At Tumble Tots.

ABSTRACT
Dalam penyusunan tugas akhir ini, saya membahas masalah
mengenai seorang anak pemalu, berusia tiga tahun, yang sulit untuk
mengikuti kegiatan belajar di dalam kelas. Saya menemui masalah ini
pada saat melaksanakan program magang di Sekolah Tumble Tots
Bandung.
Berdasarkan pengamatan saya, anak pemalu kurang percaya diri
dan terlihat sulit beradaptasi dengan lingkungan barunya. Hal ini membuat
anak tersebut menangis dan menolak untuk masuk ke dalam kelas. Selain
itu, orangtua yang sangat melindungi anaknya juga dapat menyebabkan
anak menjadi takut dan tidak mempunyai ruang untuk mengekspresikan
dirinya. Oleh karena itu, anak pemalu memerlukan penanganan khusus.
Solusi pertama adalah dengan menemani anak tersebut hingga ia merasa
nyaman dengan lingkungan barunya. Kemudian, sebagai solusi kedua
saya pun memberinya motivasi agar ia mau mencoba aktifitas di dalam
kelas. Dan, solusi ketiga adalah dengan memberinya waktu untuk mau
berpartisipasi dalam kegiatan di kelas.
Solusi terbaik berdasarkan analisa saya adalah dengan menemani
anak tersebut dan memberinya motivasi untuk mengikuti aktifitas di dalam
kelas. Dengan solusi tersebut anak pemalu akan merasa nyaman dan
termotivasi untuk berpartisipasi di dalam kelas.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT.................................................................................................i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY ............................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..........................................................................iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................iv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................1-6
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.


Background of the Study
Identification of the Problem
Objectives and Benefits of the study
Description of the Institution
Method of the Study
Limitation of the Study
Organization of the Term Paper

CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS .........................................................7
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS ................................................10
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION ..................................................................14
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX : FLOWCHART

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FLOWCHART


Causes:
She feels uncomfortable in
a new environment.
She has low self confidence.
She is being overprotected by her
parents.

Potential Positive Effects :
1.
2.
3.

She feels comfortable.
She starts talking.
She joins at the class
activities.

Effects:

Problem :

Dealing with a shy
child to participate at
class activities at
Tumble Tots

She doesn’t want to answer the
questions in the class.
She doesn’t want to join the class
activities.
She late following the lessons.

Potential Negative Effects :
Potential Solution I :
I give her special attention by
accompanying her

1.
2.
3.


She becomes spoiled.
She always wants to be
accompanied.
She becomes a
dependable child.

Potential Negative Effects:
Potential Positive Effects :
1.
2.

Improving her selfconfidence.
She dares to try new
activities.

Potential Solution II :

1.

I give her positive words


2.

Potential Negative Effects:

Potential Positive Effects:
1.

2.

Naturally, when she feels
comfortable, she will start
talking.
She wants to join the
activities slowly.

She can’t receive
negative words.
She doesn’t have
initiative.


Potential Solution III :

1.

I give her time to do the
class activities

2.

Chosen Solution:
I give her special attention by
accompanying her and give her
positive words

It takes a long time to
make her feel
comfortable naturally.
She is left behind in
following the lessons.


CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study
Childhood is an important stage in one‟s life because this is the time
when characteristics of a child is built. This also applies for a child who is
considered a shy one. If a shy child does not receive any help to
overcome his or her shyness, it can obstruct his or her development. And
it is supported by Kristin Zolten and Nichols Long who say:
Shyness can be very painful for a child to live with, and it can have
negative effects on other aspects of a child's life. These negative effects
can follow a child into adulthood, too. For example, many shy children
develop low self esteem and lack self confidence. This can make it very
difficult for shy children to make friends. Also, many shy children are so
quiet that they don't receive the help they need from teachers at school,
which may result in school performance that is not as good as it could
be. (par.4)
Fortunately, shyness on kids can be mended because it is not a
personality trait or temperament but the act of feeling uncomfortable in

new social environment. As Renee Gilbert says that:

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Shyness is the act of feeling uncomfortable in new social situations in
ways that interfere with our ability to enjoy ourselves, to perform at the
level we're capable of or that cause us to avoid social situations altogether.
(par.2)
Renee Gilbert states that by helping a shy child to overcome the feeling of
uncomfortable, we give them the gift of hope that they can belong (par.11).
Therefore, if we can find the solution to help the shy child overcome the
shyness, the shy child can become a great student in the class.
I found the problem of handling a shy child when I did my
apprenticeship in Tumble Tots, one of preschools in Bandung. The
preschool student name‟s is Kana, she is about three years old and it is
hard for her to participate in a new environment. Lila Havens (par.2) also
believes that a shy child feels nervous, is self-conscious, and insecure
around new people or in new social situations, because of those reasons

she expresses it by crying and she is usually refused to be left by her
parents or nannies. Furthermore, Kana is also very quiet in the class and
does not want to do the activities in the class. It is a challenge for the
teacher to make her feel comfortable and want to participate in the class
activities. In an article How I Can Help a Shy Child, it is stated that:

Shyness involves anxiety in social situations and reluctance to join in
social interactions. It can include a child‟s not speaking to others, even
when asked a direct question; not taking part in games and activities; or
not going into places such as the school playground unless accompanied
by a parent or close friend. Feeling shy can cause a child to be

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embarrassed by public attention—even good attention. A reserved
personality is not a problem in itself. But shy behavior is a problem when it
makes a child unhappy or when it keeps him from making friends and from
taking part in play and other learning opportunities. (par.1)

Therefore, based on the above quotation, it is important to find the best

solution in handling a shy child to participate at the class activities. This
term paper will explain about the causes, the effects, and the solutions
that I, as an assistant teacher, will be able to help the three-year-old shy
child to participate at the class activities at Tumble Tots.

B. Identification of the Problem
The problems that I am going to analyze will be summarized in these
questions:
1. Why is it hard for Kana to participate in class activities?
2. How should the teacher help the shy child to participate at the class
activities?

C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
C.1. Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study is to find the reasons why this shy child,
especially the one at Tumble Tots (henceforth, TT) was hard to participate
in class activities. Furthermore, I also want to find out the best solution that
can make her participate in every class activities.

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C.2. Benefits of the Study
This term paper can give many benefits, first for the teachers especially
those who are teaching at TT preschool. In this term paper they will find
the best solution in dealing with a shy child who is hard to participate in the
class activities.
Second, for the readers especially for the parents or the teachers from
other schools, this term paper can give information about the causes and
the effects of a shy child and also the solutions to handle him or her.
Finally, for me as the writer of this term paper, this will give me a
chance to analyze more about the problem which I met when I did my
apprenticeship.

D. Description of the Institution
In 1979, TT was established by Bill Cosgrave, a former Olympic
Gymnastic trainer in English. The motto of TT is “Skills for Life”. Based on
that motto, TT has a programme which is structured to develop children's
positive personality traits including their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Each of the programme is a 45-minute weekly session which combines
fun, excitement and challenge in a safe and caring environment.
All sessions are run by qualified staff to get the best out of the children.
The programme in TT is structured according to the age-level and stages
of a child's development.

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TT offers programmes for four different age groups. The first
programme is Gymbabes. This programme is followed by babies from six
months to walking age. The second programme is Walking to Two, it is
followed by children who have already walked to two years old. Afterwards,
the third, is Two to Three, where it is followed by children of two years old
to three years old. And the last is Playgroup, in which children of three
years old to five years old join this programme.

E. Method of the Study
I had the problem during the apprenticeship that I had done in TT.
During that time I did some observation and held an informal talk. The
data for the study were obtained from the apprenticeship journal that I
wrote during the apprenticeship period in TT, and to support that, I also did
library research to find more theories, both from printed and electronic
sources.

F. Limitation of the study
In this term paper, my analysis focused on the causes which made a
shy child in TT hard to participate in class activities. I also will analyze the
problem together with the effects and also the solution of the problem.
The subject to be analyzed is a preschool student in Three to Five
class at TT. I analyse the student„s characteristics and behaviors in the
class and also the child‟s difficulties in participate in the class activities.

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G. Organization of the Term Paper
This term paper starts with Abstract, Declaration of Originality,
Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, and Four Chapters. Chapter One
is the Introduction, Chapter Two is the Problem Analysis, Chapter Three is
the Potential Solutions, and Chapter Four is the Conclusion.
Chapter One discusses about the background of the study,
identification of the problem, objectives and benefits of the study,
description of the institution, method of the study, limitation of the study,
and organization of the term paper. Chapter Two discusses about the
analysis of the causes and the effects of the problem together with the
relevant theories that support the data.
Chapter Three discusses about the potential solutions that explains
three possible solutions followed by the positive and negative effects of
each solution. Chapter Four discusses the best solution followed by the
logical reasons. And finally, there are also Bibliography and Appendice.

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CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION

The problem that I found during my apprenticeship is having a shy child
named is Kana who is difficult to participate at the class activities at TT.
The reasons are because she feels uncomfortable in a new environment
and she has low self-confidence. She also is being overprotected by her
parents. As the consequences, she does not want to answer the questions
in the class. She also does not want to do the class activities; thus, she is
slow in following the lessons. The appropriate method must be applied to
make this child want to participate at the class activities. There are three
potential solutions that I applied in TT. The first potential solution is I give
special attention by accompanying her, the second potential solution is I
give her positive words, and the third potential solution is I give her time.
After analyzing all the potential solutions, in this chapter I would like to
explain the best solution based on the analysis of the positive and
negative effects in the previous chapter and from the observation when
the potential solutions were applied in TT during my apprenticeship period.
From these three solutions, the best solution is the combination of solution

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one and two.
I choose to combine solution one and two because I think those
solutions are effective. By allowing the shy child to refuse participating in
class activities will make her become more afraid to try the activities at the
class. Therefore, by accompanying and giving her positive words will help
her to overcome her shyness.
Based on my experience during teaching at TT, after I
accompanied this shy child for approximately one month, she could get
along well with me and her sense of security with the new environment
gradually developed. Besides, the positive words that were given improve
her self-confidence; thus, she gradually wanted to participate at the class
activities.
However, the solutions cannot work well if there is no co-operation
between the teachers and the parents. My suggestion is the parents must
support the teacher by allowing their child to come inside the class by
herself. And they must also support their child to participate in the class.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Printed Sources
Markway Ph.d, Barbara and Gregory. Nurturing The Shy Child. New York:
St.Martin’s Griffin, 2006.
Purwitasari Diah, Esti. Anakku Tak Lagi Pemalu. Surabaya: Selasar, 2008.

Electronic Sources
Andie, dr. “How Can I Help My Shy Child.” 2 April 2010
< http://drandie.com/shyness.html>.
Bodnar, Jacqueline. “10 Ways to Help a Shy Child Blossom.” Brats Babies 26
January 2009. 30 Maret 2010
< http://cinchouse.com>.
Cope, Lisa. “Pushing Your Shy Child.” 30 Maret 2010
< http://www.education.com>.
Gilbert, Renee. “Shyness in the Classroom.” 30 Maret 2010
< http://www.shakeyourshyness.com/teachingshychildren.html>.
Ideas to Help The Shy Children.”Don’t Be Shy.” 19 November 2007. 28 Maret 2010
< http://www.doingitforme.com>.
Jaredsgirl. “How to Raise a Confident Child.” 28 Maret 2010
< http://www.ehow.com>.

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Marten, Melanie. “Balancing Acceptance While Helping Them Develop Social Ease.”
28 Maret 2010
< www.helium.com>.
Long, Nicholas and Zolten, Kristen. “Shyness.” 28 Maret 2010
< http://www.education.com>.
Samalin, Nancy. “How Can I Help My Shy Child.” 28 Maret 2010
< http://www.samalin.com>.

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