Student Expectations
We have to provide a helpful atmosphere for our students to learn. We have to make them feel comfortable in our classroom, even if they are scared to death.
I agree you must learn from your mistakes in order to grow ,and not to make that mistake again.Share with them your i-story...we all have made mistakes and lived.
Absolutely. When the student is comfortable, they are able to trust. Trust is necessary for the student to value the learning environment enough to both share and receive information. The instructor is the catalyst for this powerful phenomenon.
Their fears at times will be focused on not having the technology skills they need to do the work, so being flexible seems to help them feel more comfortable and know that I am available to help them.
Our discussions focus on how the course will help them in their future. I use a "do-over" approach with my online students, giving them opportunities to "redo" assignments, normally at the beginning of the quarter when they are just learning the software and learning environment. Their fears at times will be focused on not having the technology skills they need to do the work, so being flexible seems to help them feel more comfortable and know that I am available to help them.
Yes and showing them how to learn from a mistake will help them to understand how not to make more mistakes.
I agree. I think the biggest step is that we as instructors have to allow for students to be who we want them to be. In addition; if they are scared to death we should be able to cater that where it is still effective.
I agree that students need to know that what we teach them in the class will stay with them in the field ,and you do learn from your mistakes.
Students should have expierences that are related to what they will encounter in the work place.An Instructor will show them how to do the work and help them to understand and complete their tasks.
If students know that they can apply what they have learned then they see a reasong for coming, we are all the same whether it is us as a student or as a teacher, if there is no value then there is no reason to teach it
Joe--
Your point about learning from mistakes is an important one. The classroom (versus the work place) is the environment to do that!
Susan
I also agree with this. One way I try to give them value is to show them how a paticular subject will help them when they get into the field. I also remind them that they are in school to learn and if they make a mistake then thats how you learn and at least you won't do that in the field.
