The lost cause
I had a situation not too long ago where a student talked to me about wanting to drop out. This student had some real promise and I told them so. They ended up dropping out anyway not long after the conversation. Sometimes, no matter how you, as an instructor, try to positively reinforce a student, it seems like they have already made up their mind as to what they will do. They leave, but you stay and help those who continue with their education.
Vanessa,
Sounds like you have done all that you can do with this student. I would suggest you talk with your Administration and see how they want to handle this student. She is not really performing as a student so she might be better served by stepping out of school for a while and getting her act together so she can return and be successful.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have a student in my class who wants to drop my class on a weekly basis. She has an emotional breakdown every week regarding the weekly assignments, quizzes, or the time spent offsite for hands on experience. I feel like she makes herself as helpless as possible and that old saying always comes to mind: you can lead a horse to water. I feel like I have been carrying this horse to water and am not sure what more I can do to make her want to be here.
Roseanne,
Good point and one that could really engage the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
How about asking if there are other events or opportunities that are being missed if one stays in the course. That could open up a whole new set of insights.
Given that the student had "promise", there were likely traits that could be put to good use in any endeavor. I would have asked what the endevers going forward were. Perhaps he/she was on a track that could lead to some other occupation. At least that may have reinforced a positive reinforcement.
Arisa,
What are examples of how they see themselves as having value and when they choose to excel in their life goals? I love to hear stories of inspiration and personal choice that results in success. Tough to lose even one student especially when they are in a career prep program that has the potential of helping them dramatically change their lives.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Fernando,
Outside influences and circumstances do weight heavy on student retention and success. I to always feel sad when I lose a student due to some outside factor. I try to encourage that student to just step out of school and to let him or her know that the door is open to them coming back when their life has settled down. We do get a number of them coming back and that always excites me because they know that we care about them and their future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I am offended at the term lost cause. Everyone has value and a time in their life when they choose to excel in their life goals.
One truth about some of the lost causes is the outside factors. Though we believe that our students have high potential and could do great things, their home life may not allow for it. I know that i feel a crushing defeat when a student gives up so. But i do not truly know all the circumstances that may have taken him or her down that path.
Francisco,
Thank you for sharing your experiences with these students. Sharing this information helps us all to gain insight on how to handle situations like this. Glad to read that it turned out well for these students as well as yourself. You brought the human factor into your teaching and it paid off with their success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I had that happened with two students of my students from different classes and they both shared some information not all; I was given some other information by their peers and also the program director. I approached each situation different, but both student stayed with a greater self worth than I expected. I believe insight helped me guide them individually, but the decision was all theirs to make.
Steven,
Good point about how to provide support for students that are not ready for either being a student or being in that course. Hopefully one day that eureka moment occurs and they get excited, engaged and on track to acquire the needed knowledge and expertise that their career field requires.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree with this, but I find that I take offense to the term "lost cause". No one is truly lost; we can try as hard as we can to "reach" someone, but until that person is ready and receptive to the help that is being offered, they won't make the first step to acheiving their goals. It doesn't mean that they're "lost" it means that in that particular moment they simply weren't ready.
There is always a "eureka" moment that happens with people, and as you said, maybe that particular student will return to complete their education.
Joseph,
I am always sad when I lose a student just as I know you are but, it is a reality that students will drop out no matter how hard we try to keep them in school. You did a good job of shifting your mind and effort to those students that stayed in school and you were able to impact their lives. Maybe one day this student will come back and give college another try. There is always that hope.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
