When something is stuck, it can’t move. For example, your foot might get stuck in mud, or the lid of a jar might get stuck on a tight screw. People can also feel stuck in a job or relationship, or even in their lives. Stuck is a feeling that can be very difficult to overcome.
If you’re feeling stuck, it may be time to rethink your goals. Whether it’s your career or personal life, the end of one year and the beginning of another can be a good time to assess your progress and determine your next steps.
In order to change the situation, you must first identify what’s causing you to feel stuck. This can be difficult, but it’s an important first step to getting unstuck. You might find that your negative thoughts are keeping you down, or that a more hopeful perspective will help you move forward. If you are unable to change your thinking patterns on your own, it might be helpful to consult a mental health professional for psychotherapy or medication.
One way to change your thoughts is to focus on the parts of a task or problem that make you feel good. Instead of thinking with dread about the aspects that are making you feel stuck, think about the ones that you like about it. This will keep you positive and motivated. Another way to change your physiology is to take action. It can be as simple as changing your posture, or more intensively such as going on a run. Changing your physical state will reinforce your new, more positive mindset and help you break out of the stuck feeling.
It’s also important to remember that it takes a long time to become skilled in any activity, and reading is no exception. Most of us have to work our way up the ladder, and being stuck is often a natural part of that process. It’s also important to remind yourself that your greatest breakthroughs often come when you are at your worst.
When it comes to teaching reading, a key strategy is to prioritize prompts that children can eventually internalize and use independently. Most readers will not have an adult with them for all of their reading, and it’s vital to teach them how to help themselves when they are stuck. The following three tables present a selection of the most common prompts that teachers can offer students when they are stuck on a word. The aim is to support them in becoming more confident and independent in their ability to solve complex words. The tables also show the corresponding prompts that are most effective at addressing specific types of reading issues. Using these prompts will help students learn to tackle new vocabulary words, improve spelling, and understand the relationship between orthography and phonetics. In doing so, these prompts will help children develop as proficient readers. For more information on how to teach reading effectively, see Cartwright and Duke (2019).