I got a letter from one of my students not long ago telling me that I had inspired them to want to teach.
James,
Yes, certainly the grading policy reflects the possible points earned for each assignment, as well as total possible points. I think students sometimes just panic and fail to see the reality of the potential to still pass the class, even when the numbers are right in front of them. It's as if they view themselves as a failure beyond merely the one assignment that caused the trouble. Thanks.
Tami, your story is very common. Many students do not understand how a course is graded and why it is so important to work towards every point. Any point missed is not the end of the class but working towards earning all points possible is rewarded. Your course grading policy needs to reflect this process. If you are offering weed-out courses then this is more difficult to accomplish.
James Jackson
Scott, believe in them and setup your course environment so failure is just part of the overall success. Build small success opportunities and small failure opportunities and build upon that foundation. Small failures do not ruin your GPA just like small successes do not secure your GPA. Provide soft landing spaces and really reward success. I am interested in others and what they have to say or experiences they have had.
James Jackson
This one student that I have in my current class. She was very over-whelmed in the beginning and was very negative and didn't think she could succeed. Once she got plugged in and started completing the course work, she knew she could do it. She doubted herself from the beginning but a few encouraging words from myself, I witnessed her successfully completing my class.
Erika,
I like how you support your students in making their self-perceptions positive. I sometimes recite a phrase that I read from a book once, in which it said, "If you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them." We discuss how thinking positively about yourself and trying to believe you can succeed can help the process. Sometimes it's hard to let go of the negative for some of these students who haven't seen much success yet, but they often respond very well to these discussions.
I once had student approach me stating that she was dropping the class because she thought she did so terribly on the exam that she couldn't pass the course. It was shocking to see that this student's perception was so mistaken--that she would think that one exam grade would make her fail the entire course, despite what the point system would allow for a passing grade. Of course, the student needed to be taken aside and shown that although her performance on the test was not great, she could still pass the class if she persevered with her work, etc.
Teaching multiple science courses my students must learn a large number of new terms. So many of them do not believe (self-doubt) that they can accomplish the task of learning these terms. I ask them each time a student says they cannot do this or will not pass the test - why does it seem I have more confidence in you than you do yourself. I think so many students are afraid to put themselves out there in fear of making a mistake so they simply believe they cannot do it then it is less of a let down. Always let them know you believe in their abilities and it is amazing how quickly they begin to believe as well.
James, I agree. It is important to establish common ground with students by letting them know that you share some of the same fears.
For example, I video tape student speeches so the students can see how they look and sound to the audience. I tell the students that it is very painful to be taped, and that I hate to see myself on video. However, I let them know it is a excellent means of feedback.
Sharing my experience helps them feel at ease and more willing to evaluate themselves on tape.
Brian, public speaking is higher on the list of fears than death so this is a common issue. Helping students realize it is natural to experience a nervous sensation and even we as faculty battle through our own fears can also help students become more at ease with speaking in front of a group.
James Jackson
Danielle, what a great story and really speaks to the importance of building professional relationships with your students and building an understanding of their root issues that could be preventing them from success in the classroom. Thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
Some of my students do not believe that they will succeed in public speaking. They doubt their ability to stand in front of others with confidence and deliver a presentation.
Those students who maintain an "I can't do it" attitude will usually not do as well as those students who have self-confidence.
When I point out the positive aspects in the speeches of the "self-doubters" they are often encouraged and as a result show improvement.
I recently had a student who was a very angry individual. He thought he was dumb and was wasting his time with school. After a couple of weeks and long one on one talks with him after class I found out that he was homeless and had an abusive childhood. After getting him some help with finding shelter and talking to him about positive self talk, and journaling he not only passed my class he received his 1st "B". He now is self-motivated and knows that he can succeed.
Edward, knowledge of the subject matter can be a great way to empower students to feel comfortable with themselves and their ability to perform in the classroom. We as instructors also need to be aware of the different personality types and other behavior issues that can prevent students from having self-confidense. Some students may be very comfortable with the knowledgebase of the materials but still lack any confidense to demonstrate this in the classroom. Others may have the ability to learn the materials but the resources and delivery method used may not be focused on their predominate learning style. Just remember to keep an open mind, build good professional relationships with your students and look for root causes of their lack of confidense or lack of subject matter knowledge.
James Jackson
Overcoming self doubt is in my opinion because of less self-confidence and/or lack of knowledge in the field or class.
Therefore, empowering the students with a high level of practical knowledge and continous encouragement will equip the student with the correct level of confidence to overcome that self-doubt.
Having said that there are some individuals that will still self-doubt themselves regardless of the knowledge level. I had a student like that, and what I did was congradulate her for every little thing she did correct. While coaching, I would always use statements like "great, you are doing really good. You are on the right track. You did really good today....."
Felix, I think I understand what you are saying but I want to make sure I am clear. You mention that "it depends on the student" and then moved on to explain how you were able to reach a student that other faculty members felt was unreachable. To me this implies it is not so much about the student but about us as faculty and what lengths we are willing to take to understand our students and help them become successful. If by your statement you implied we as faculty need to treat each student as an individual and assist them at their level of learning style and methodology of communication then I agree 100%. Thanks for any clarification you can provide to this discussion.
James Jackson
Agreed and this also becomes the motivation for us as instructors to better understand the different learning styles of our students and the different teaching styles we can utilize to better reach our students and experience that moment.
James Jackson
I had students that are very bright, however they feel intimidated by the subject. On the other hand, I had students that are not so gifted as the aforementioned and they are motivated to suceed. Although the atmosphere in the classroom is safe it depends on the student. I had a student once that was considered by other members of the faculty as a non-performer, however with enogh security and motivation provided the student was able to ocomplete the course and currently is working applying the knowledge acquired.
Yees!!! The A-HA moment, the epiphony, revelation of "I got it!" is priceless. It's why I teach.
Robert, great point and really hits home with the importance of presence and an true understanding of your environment. We all have days that are better than others and it can be a challenge to bring a high level of energy into each and every classroom setting. Yet this is what is really critical to keep your students focused and for you as the instructor to model the way for your students. As leaders of our classrooms, we need to put our personal lives on hold and provide 100% focus and attention on our students when in their presence. They deserve our best every time we are with them.
James Jackson
