Hi Jennifer,
Absolutely, you must follow through and do as you have said. If you fail not to go through with what was said, you have lost credibility.
Patricia
Develop, distribute and clearly discuss exactly what is expected from the students and then consistantly follow these ctiteria you have established with all your students. Do not set policy then fail to carry it out.
The more up front an instructor is with expectations, policies and the scope of what will be covered, the better prepared students will be. Since many student complaints arise from "not knowing", giving them such information will allay such problems.
The other general policy is to be consistent and fair towards all students.
Patricia,
the results I see from small group discussions, are that it gives the students more confidence in themselves, and it lets them know that their voice does make a difference
Hello Deborah,
What type of benefits do you see from having challenging students participate in group discussions?
Patricia
I put my students in group discussions
Hello Bronna,
Students want to be listened to. Listening is a virtue in the education profession.
Patricia
I think you nailed it when you said, “listen”. I have a bad habit of trying to move the class along before everyone has had their say. Students appreciate having their ideas and concerns listened to.
In my opinion, it is a good idea to pull the student outside the classroom quietly and listen to what seems to be wrong. I encountered this yesterday. The student rattled off four things that he "hated", and i asked him pointedly if he hated that many things, did it possibly have something to do with his attitude.
I think it is a good idea to be honest with students if we are really going to have a lasting effect on them. I dont feel it is good to sugar coat complaints. honesty is the best policy. However, a teacher/mentor needs to evaluate each response on an individual basis as all students will need to dealt with/talked to differently. If the student is very sensitive, then the approach needs to be careful. A little personal attention and showing that you care can go very far.
I feel a lot of the time, students bring outside issues into the classroom. As a culinary instructor, we need to break future cooks of this habit, as in the workforce, they will be told as well to leave their personal life out of it..
Hello John,
What a great way to cover yourself. It is always good to document conversations you have with challenging students. We follow that rule at my institution. We have cases where documentation has helped us in a big way.
Patricia
Hi Wing,
Nicely said! As educators, we must be effective listeners. Sometimes students simply want you to listen to them. I had a student to say to me just this morning, "Please hear me out." She wanted me to listen and not interrupt. I listened, and she thanked me for listening.
I like to advise students when they are at risk of becoming a problem & documenting the discussion we have. Then the student can't say after the fact that they did not know.The discussion with the student usualy gets to root of the problem & that helps me to understand & advise. J.P.
I really do believe that listening is very important. A lot of times instructors immediately blame students when complaints are being presented because they've done this job for so long and you get this idea that the students should know certain things and expect them to be a certain way. It's important to understand that every class is different and that you're starting out fresh each time. Always listen to what they have to say and be patient.
Hi Eileen,
The syllabus is a saving grace for rules, policies, procedures, etc., however, clarity is key.
Patricia
Hello Thomas,
You are right students generally can pick up on the missing component. I use this tactic as well. I feel by letting the students determine the missing component, they tend to not forget for the next assignment.
Patricia
Clarity in writing (syllabus, assignment prompts, rubrics) of expectations in all aspects of the course - behavior, participation, work production, etc. helps in dealing with these students.
When I evaluate presentations if something is missing I try to get the student to tell me what was missing and self evaluate. They usually know what they missed and fix it for the next presentation.
Hello Bill,
At your institution do you use a review committee to reach results for various concerns, issues, challenges, etc.?
Patricia
The best way to reduce complaints and challenges are to prevent them from occurring. While it is not possible to think of all of the types of problems that may occur, being well prepared in advance will often allow you to respond in an appropriate and timely manner. Policies and procedures should be determined before conducting courses. However, since there will often be unforeseen situations, a set of guiding principles or established standards must be used when certain events occur. A school may have an official written procedure for students to follow when expressing a problem or area of concern. Based on the school, an administrator may be the sole authority or arbitrator, or there may be a review committee. In any case the student should be treated fairly and established policies should be enforced.
Hello Brad,
Positive reinforcement always works well. I have PowerPoint presentations for each course that covers why they are taking the course and how the course will help them in the workplace. The students always get excited from the presentations. They are awesome!
Patricia
