Hi Will,
Good ideas for keeping the class flowing and the students involved. You are giving them application and relevancy as a foundation so they can transfer the content to their career areas.
Gary
Hi Amy,
Is there a way you can draw on their life experiences so they feel they are contributing to the class? This way you could blend your own experiences with theirs for coordinated sharing.
Gary
Hi Skip,
Great way to start a class. You are modeling the kind of professional behavior that students need to see from the very first day of the class onward. By showing them you care about them personally as well as their career success you have set the stage for learning success.
Gary
Hi Alexandria,
Good job of providing multiple sources of support for your students. You are doing a good job of developing rapport with your students as well. As you know this is very important for instructional success for your students.
Gary
I teach in the GenED department so my courses do not tie directly in with the students' area of study. I try to make it fun for them by being upbeat. I also try to have them give me examples of when they would use a certain concept. Since I am not an expert in their area I use the students' expertise to help cater the class to what they want or need. Or sometimes if a discussion is lagging I can ask probing questions or give a personal story to help move the story.
I have been trying to add as much personal experience to my class as I can to try to motivate them and some seem to really enjoy it and others still have the attitude of I know this all already. Do you have any good suggestions for the students that have been there done that type of attitude to keep them motivated?
Reinforce what they are learning by sharing your assesment of what you see in them and encourage them to keep doing well...
Hi Diane,
This is a great idea. Thanks for sharing it. This gives you good feedback but is done in a easy going manner so the students can feel comfortable in making their comments.
Gary
Some more thoughts... I try to keep my curriculum relevant, by creating course content that is contemporary to the students (projects and subject matter that they can relate to) I try to structure the class work in small steps. I think that this may sound completely obvious but I see a lot of classes where the educator is moving to fast. If the class is structured correctly each student should be able to succeed. I coached youth athletics for fifteen years and I learned to break-down the athletic skills into the smallest parts, helping the kids to progressively build their skills. I am a big advocate of drilling the basics... even in an "advanced" class. By reviewing the basics you can find the missing skills. I never make the assumption that all of the students have arrived in the classroom with the relevant skills. Success will promote confidence and motivation
I thinks that's an excellent idea that I would like to adopt and implement the concept in all my classes. I envision starting a class where I ask what each student thinks they will accomplish in the class and then ask each student to express what achievable goals they are setting for themselves right from day one. I think that will set a very solid foundation and reinforce their resolve throughout the course.
Dr. Meers,
My students start the class by introducing themselves to the class on a class discussion forum. They include their educational expereince, their life milestones, and their career goals. When I reply, I greet them personally, connect with what they're doing in their lives, and connect the class goals to their career goals to help them see that I am there to help them succeed academically and that the class they're taking with me has direct relevance to their goals.
Sincerely,
Alexandria
I definitely agree that the instructor's enthusiasm is a huge motivation tool. In addition, effective instruction should help students produce a good product which spurs them on to do more - there is nothing like the reward of learning a new skill and seeing the successful completion of that task.
On the very first day of class as each student is arriving in the classroom I make a point to walk around and introduce myself with a handshake. I think it is critical that each student feels welcome. Additionally I make a strong effort to get to know each student by name as quickly as possible. If the students feel like you have reached out to them personally it makes them feel comfortable and ready to learn. Also it helps the students understand that you care about them. Listening and learning is a responsibility of the students and the instructor.
During the first or second class meeting I ask students to imagine they are getting back to their dorm after class and they greet their roommate with, "Guess what? I just had the best class I've ever had!" I then ask them to write on a sheet of paper what would have happened in that class for them to feel that enthusiastic about it. I collect and read the papers to find out methods I can use in the classroom to provide a motivating environment for that particular class.
I enjoy getting my learners to connect what we learn in the classroom with real world experiences. This comes through examples in the news, their own personal stories or even my own personal stories. It really gets them excited about learning the subject matter.
Hi Pamela,
You raise a very good point that should not happen in a class. As a graduate student you should not be asking "What does he/she want in terms of my writing?" but instead "What kind of writing is needed to reflect the standards of the field?". This is the kind of feedback that you should be receiving as well. This is a good example of how you can better serve the needs of your students since you yourself is living this situation.
Gary
Hi Karen,
Good approach to helping your students to be successful. Something I try and impress on my students is that I am not trying to be critical of their work because I enjoy doing so it is because I want to see them grow and develop in their expertise. I explain to them that if they will work hard on their projects, I as an expert in the field will give them the benefit of my experience and expertise to help them get better. Once they graduate I will not longer be available to them as a resource so if their writing or communication skills are weak no one will let them know except their bosses and customers. I explain those individuals will let them know by firing them or taking their business somewhere else. That is a harsh penalty for not having the skills. This is why I ask: "Why not let me help you develop those skills now in a safe environment where you get accurate and supportive feedback so you can enjoy success later on in your career?"
Any questions about this let me know.
Gary
Hi David,
Analogies are great as you say for giving mental pictures to students in terms of understanding and using key concepts.
Gary
I think as one begins to see what the students strengths are it is good to show how relevant those strengths are to their chosen career paths. The opposite should occur for areas for improvements, by relating how those areas of improvement would impact their output in the relevant work environment. In summary a constant reminder of relevant course materials and how those can guide them along their career paths would be a great motivator.
I appreciate your comment on detail. I am in a graduate program online and one of the frustratins I have is knowing what my instructor's want in the way of writng styles and there isn't the kind of feedback I need to improve.
