The Pygmalion Effect
Students need motivation, that goes without saying. But as facilitators we need to make sure that students are ready for the challenge and to "prime" the student with a message like "Today is going to be exciting"
That excitement will translate into success.
This is a very important point and I could not agree more. An instructor is supposed to be the model that the students may want to follow after.
I also take every opportunity to encourage my students with how far they have come since we started. It then fuels them to continue to move forward with confidence.
William,
I completely agree & can make a difference in student retention for our programs. If the students encounter an instructor who is passionate & excited about the field, they are more likely to stay with the program.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with you. As an instructor I have learned that the energy of the class is a direct reflection of that instructor. If I am excited about the day and up beat the class will be the same. I fully believe that the instructor has a huge influence on the learning environment in the classroom.
I do the same thing with dosage calculations. The first day of class they are scared but I introduce things slowly (set up short and long term goals). I like to have the students work in groups with a student that is stronger in math. Most often by the time final comes around they are able to reach that passing grade for dosage calculations. And they actually enjoy dosage calcualtions after they pass.
Thank you for pointing this out. It really does affect how students are motivated to learn new concepts/skills. I exprienced this first hand. I was asked to provide a lecture on a topic which I am not happy about resulting in students having problem understanding the concept. My negative feeling about the topic being discussed was perceived by students as a barrier for them understanding the concept and me being difficult.
Showing the learner that success is thier actual goal, and that they can achieve that goal with th e righ attitude gets them started on the correct path. I have them repeate, math is my friend, which gets there mind in the right state to pass a test full of math questions.
It's positive reinforcement. If you breed positivity then positivity will be produced, if you breed negativity, then negativity will be produced.
The more exciting and fun you make the material the more receptive most students will become. And always tell them they can do it.
We have an accellerated program and it can be overwhelming. Helping to remind them not only what they have learned but how they are applying it to their future career is also good. It is easy for students and instructors to lose sight of that in the moment.
Many times I have had students a second or third time. I needed this lesson to remind me to take a positive approach at the beginning of each class. It's easy to let your subconscious affix levels of learning you noticed in those previous classes. I will work harder at believing that each new class is a fresh start for every student.
Carroll,
Great name! 'Tis my middle name. This is a very good point that you make about your habit of doing this with your students. I think I'll borrow this practice from you if you don't mind!
Cheers,
Steve Baker
You should always avoid making a decision in your mind that this student will not make it. It is easy to do and you must consciously resist the temptation to give up on them. Keep trying new ways to engage them and help them learn in different ways.
Shawna,
yes, when we focus on the hard aspects we are just giving them a reason to back out.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with my classmates. I definitely think that you should always tell the students that they can do something and preface it with how much they will enjoy it, learn from it, etc., not how hard it will be.
You bet. Set the stage. Ask them what they have learned prior. This can help you guide the starting point of your lecture or discussion. If they seem to know a lot, then you can give a short review questioning time to get them thinking again. Once on your way then you can introduce your topics and information.
Brian,
yes, the more we can connect the concept to prior knowledge the greater the chance for success.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
When teaching a difficult topic, you never want to set them up to fail so, always start out with how much they already know about the topic and encorage them with how much better they will understand it at the end of class.
I worked in inner city schools for many years. The negative attitudes of most of the teachers working there is greatly reflected in the student outcome. Many of these teachers do not use best practices (something they would use in a different setting) with these students because of their belief that the students are incapable of learning. Something should really be done about that.
