Dear students,
Please, just say what you mean to say. There has never been and will never be a need for you to preface anything you say with "I don't know if this is right but..."
No. You are an intelligent person. You understand plenty. You have bright ideas and many of them are correct. If those ideas are not correct that's okay because you are learning from any mistakes you make. The reason that you have raised your hand in the classroom was to do exactly what you are doing: to answer the question to the best of your ability. The most likely event that will happen is that you will answer the question correctly. And if not, you are in school to learn-- no one expects you to be perfect, always, or to be the smartest, always. Sometimes you are wrong, and that's okay. But most times, you probably aren't, and that's okay, too.
Do not brush aside your intelligence. Modesty in unnecessary here. Please, just give your answer.
There is no reason to cloak honest attempts at understanding in a blushing way. There's no reason to excuse yourself for learning. There is no reason to ask the room's forgiveness for opening your mouth in discussion or lecture.
