Before I teach my students how to compute for dosages/conversions and measurements, I tell them that i wasn't good in math back in the day, but because i practice and use it everyday I got better at it, and I add at the end, "If I could do it, you could do it too."
Teaching wine classes I find that students often claim to not like wine because of self-doubt, not knowing how to taste and express their thoughts. By sharing my own experiences I can give them confidence that they can accomplish the course tasks. Sharing this information also enhances their security in the classroom.
I totally agree with you. I find that my students waits for the my comment, response, or feedback to affirm their performances were correct. They always have this self-doubt. By affirming their actions gives them confidence and discovers their potentials.
In the automotive training school I work in, students are taught the right and wrong way to diagnose and repair cars. One of the hardest things in this process is to come up with situations where the student can build their self esteem through little victories in the learning process. If we can get them past their fear of failure and to accept that they are still learning, their self-doubt begins to fade away little by little. Electrical diagnosis is one of our problems. I have to be very careful, at times, on how I let a student know that he is not grasping the concepts taught. A student agreeing that he needs helps and accepts tutoring usually has better outcomes.
Most classes I have there are usually one to two students who lack confidence or are insecure. These are also the quiet ones, don't ask much questions,try to avoid interacting in the class. Unfortunately also, I've lost a few students in the past for being tardy too many times and once you have missed a few days in nursing school it's very difficult to catch up. One term I had a student she was really quiet and to herself, not saying much. So I talked with her, introduced her to all the classmates and made her participate in class discussions. By the end of the semester she turned out to be one of the most talkative students in the class.
Brittany, I totally agree. It is a very exciting time and one that should be taken advantage whenever possible.
James Jackson
Bruce, well done. Mind mapping is critical and bridging the gaps between theory and practice application is a great way to engage our students.
James Jackson
Georgia, you also want to assist your students in building the mental pictures and scenarios that can assist them in recalling information. Our brains are better at pictures and stories than they are at pure facts and figures.
James Jackson
One of the greatest rewards in teaching is to that so called "light bulb moment" when a student gets it. I see it often while teaching in our Dental Hygiene clinic. When I sit down with a patient to show the student hands-on, the student sees by demonstration and this helps relieve their self doubt.
Many adult students returning to school beleive that due to the fact that they have been out of school for a longer period of time they will not do as well as those students who more recently graduated high school. I often use examples that they may have used in their everyday life, in the workplace or in their personal lives, that shows them that they are more prepared then they think due to their maturity level and life's respnsibilites that they have experienced that younger students have not. Once they see this, or get it, their confidence level usually rises and they perform better in the classroom.
I agree that discussing tasks with students prior to testing their skills, helps them formulate the act in their mind. Talking out loud also finalizes the task. So if I stand back and let them complete the skill, they find what their success is on their own.
Arlissa, great post and is a good reminder to all of us that as teachers we are also need to be experts on assisting students with career choices. No one knows more about our subject matter than we do so it is critical we remain close to our subject areas and what jobs are available and which skills are needed for students to be relevant. Keep up the great work.
James Jackson
I advised a student on selecting job leads to fit her need for a job before she completed her first class and she was open about having doubt she could perform in a role related to her classwork. I encouraged her to keep looking by showing her 2 options for work (one out of her field and one within her field). After visiting the site for the out of field opening, she realized she did not like the possible outcome and chose to interview and was chosen for the better job related to her studies.
Beatriz, outstanding post and spot on. We as instructors can sometimes be too quick to label a student as lazy or unmotivated only to later find out the student was in some way intimidated or was not fully understanding the objectives of the curriculum. Your comments about taking the time to know your students and asking simple questions about does the student feel they are in a safe environment are important and should be asked at ALL times.
James Jackson
The most important job that an instructor has is to determine whether a student is lacking interest, preparation, understand or if it’s a question of self-doubt. In working with individuals that are not native English speakers, I have encountered tremendous self-doubt. I find that it takes a great deal of patience and encouragement to establish a safe environment for open discussion and participation.
Melissa, do you have any lesson plans that discuss this factor of moving on to the externship? Sometimes the simplest of conversations can go a long way towards helping students be prepared.
James Jackson
Judy, well stated. Nothing worse than going to class with an instructor that is obviously not happy to be there. Students can pick up on such characteristics very quickly and tend to share their concerns with other students. Negative influences tend to traverse through the school much faster than the positive ones so we must be ever diligent to reduce the number of negative influences.
James Jackson
Rocklan, good to let students know you were once in their shoes. Everyone begins without knowing the subject matter but by following your recipe for success they too can be successful. This assumes of course you can provide them with that recipe. I will often include some statistics for my students so they can see on paper how well students perform that follow my recipe versus those that want to go their own way.
James Jackson
jeffrey, great post and making mistakes is critical to the overall learning process. No one likes to make a mistake but in the instance of learning is is somewhat a requirement to ensure maximum learning is achieved. A study of brain function is very matter of fact with it comes to learning after making a mistake and we must rely on the data driven research with it comes to best practices in how the brain works. I often tell my students on day one, making a mistake is part of learning and the grading scale takes making mistakes into consideration. Students can still achieve a high grade making mistakes. The real focus is learning from the mistakes which is highly rewarded.
James Jackson
Even the most confident students can be filled with self doubt when they get close to moving on to externship. I try to combat this with stories from my past about times that I made mistakes in the office, the consequences, and the outcome of the situation. Then if they make mistakes in an office, they can refer back to one of those stories about my mistakes. Hopefully they will be better equiped to deal with this when it occurs.
