Clinic is a place to put together the didactic portion along with the clinical portion of learning, this is where they will use hands on skills along with personal/soft skills that come from the didactic portion. They will have to inform and educated their patients on what treatment will be provided before they perform. Clinic is a place where the student can practice these skills being taught and utilize the knowledge they have learned in the didactic portion and the instructor can give feedback on all skills. I believe this type of setting gives the student confidence, skill and acceptance that they will succeed.
Kathy,
Thank you for the kind words about the module and the use you will make from the content. Adult learners can be a valuable resource in the classroom if they feel they are able to contribute and are respected for what they know. Your idea of ongoing and frequent feedback is a good one and will help to engage and support your adult learners throughout the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
We discussed Maslow in this module but I think Erik Erikson's theory also applies here in relation to the older adult. One of the stages of the older adult is ego integrity vs. despair. Enrolling in an adult education course may be one way to preserve ego integrity, especially in cases involving the loss of a spouse; feeling connected and valued in a group will be important. Research has shown that one way to prevent cognitive decline is to challenge the brain by learning new material.
So, an older student may have inherent needs related to maintaining cognitive aptitude, but just as importantly, they need to feel a sense of belonging in order to maintain ego integrity. In the United States, we too often do not value our elders the way they are respected in some other cultures. As stated in this module, the older adult learner tends to more acutely feel frustration from a limitation standpoint.
One thing I will incorporate into my teaching as a result of this module will be to develop small incremental ways of developing confidence, such as perhaps a 3-point quiz on a regular basis that will help students feel ready for the regular quizzes and exams.
I enjoyed this module!
Kathy
Learners want to feel apart of the class, if they are isolated or don't feel up to snuff they tend to pull back and not feel good about themselves in the learning process.
If a student tends to feels "not accepted" by the class or the instructor, he or she will either crawl into a shell and block out the lessons or try too hard. They then can become frustrated with themself or disrupt the class.
Once a student has established that confort level, they are able to participate in class without being afraid to ask any question that is relavent to that course.
Marie,
If you feel comfortable, supported and accepted you will be engaged. We need to make sure our students have this sense in our classes so they can focus on their success and future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Having had students of varying ages in my classes, I can see where it is important for them all to be accepted by each other, this adds a comfort level to the class room. They a good deals of time with each other and must feel trust and be trusted.
Mark,
This is a very important part of successful teaching. The students need to see how they fit in the class and that they are respected for the contributions they can make to the class and in return they will have the support of the instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Feeling accepted in a group is a basic need. It is especially strong in the younger students. Those in the 18-21 age group may feel being accepted in the group is a stronger motivation than completely the course work. But even for the older students, feeling accepted is extremely important. The instructor's job is to give students the opportunity to experience the group and to prove to themselves that they are accepted, even with their peculiarities. Also, acceptance by the instructor helps here. Giving each student praise and positive feedback helps them feel accepted.
If students feel accepted, it builds up their confidence to do well in school and to succeed in their education.
Jacqueline,
Trust is such a powerful emotion and hopefully all instructors work to develop it with their students. With trust comes respect and with respect comes rapport. Each builds on the other and at the end success is achieved.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
My experience with the students being accepted during their learning period for their success helps them build new friends , study habits by studing together, some students have limited experience with being close to different culture and backgrounds, also average classes enhances this type of learning atmosphere which is perfect.
This is so true for all of us, in my opinion. I try to create an atmosphere of trust in my classroom. The program I teach in is accelerated and the students are together for about 18 months. They do develop their own support systems and have a nice camaraderie with one another. We did have a student who was having some issues with some of the other students and it was very apparent that not feeling accepted affected him deeply.
It is important for students to feel accepted in the class so they can gain confidence in their ability to learn. The process of being active in the classroom with peers and the instructor makes the students feel like they are contributing to their own success for the educational goals
All students should be accepted regardless of popular opinion in the classroom. As teacher we must require a rule of accepting and respecting differences. It should not be a right but expected and modeled in the classroom by the teacher.
I do not understand why this is even discussed as it is a common requirement for being a good role model and professional educator.
I believe its important to get to know a little about each student on the first day of class by playing ice breaker games and giving a learning style quiz. For larger classes its sometimes necessary for me to use index cards to jot down a couple of facts gathered from these methods. Refering back to information previously obtained makes students feel appreciated,in that you remembered something about them personally.I feel that this along with consistant feedback and positive critisism greatly contributes to the overall outcome of a students success.
The mistakes here are preparing the students for the sucess outside.
Feeling acceptance by fellow students and the instructor makes a difference in their ability to achieve their goals.
Yes Acceptance is extremely important with students at school. I make a effort to involve my students in class lectures and discussion and I try to make it a point to show them how we all are the same in some way. Even though I am the instructor I show them examples of how we share one common goal.
