I agree that we need more courses like this one. It really does put things into perspective. I have started to use some of the techniques that discussed in the course and have seen positive feedback.
Student's with good HABE's tend to have regular attendance and thrive with constant constructive feedback. What I enjoy seeing the most is when they use those skills with their peers.
Cathleen,
Thanks for this post. What are some specific things you do to try to move students who don't have these HABEs toward valuing and developing them?
Jeffrey Schillinger
What separates them from students that are not as successful has to do with self-motivation and drive, believing in themselves/self-confidence, setting goals they want to achieve and not afraid of working hard. Too many students want everything given to them. They want an 'A' without working for it.
Zbigniew,
What are some specific things you do in your classes to help students develop HABEs like attitude and desire if they do not already have them when they get to your classroom?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Attitude and desire are the common ingredient. Once without get recommendations to read Zig Ziggler, W clement Stone and such
Adrian,
Does your school do anything proactive with unplaced graduates who seem to have lost sight of their goals?
Jeffrey Schillinger
They have a passion for not only what they are going to school for but how as a whole its going to change their futures. Setting up a standard for themselves gave them a chance to better ask for advice from their instructor to get to there goals after they graduated. When you try to help students that don't have this same drive, you notice that after graduating they sometimes lose sight of why they went to school and suffer through bad decision making when it comes to what direction to take.
The successful students have a conscious or unconscious expectation and/or ability to allow themselves to learn from challenges and mistakes. Usually a sense of humor and persistence are a huge factor in the ability to do this. When bumping up to a challenge, it can be a learning experience or a derailing event depending on how you respond. An individual's HABE's determine how they respond.
Victor,
What are one or two specific things you do to help form a positive attitude in your students?
Jeffrey Schillinger
yes I found that those student with a positive attitude, also come from a positive back ground, even when they had the problems like every one else.
they are encouraged to continue a higher education from influences in there personal lives and mentors they choose to look up to at a young age or prier to attending college .
Lauri,
Another excellent example of how to pay attention to students and to get them to learn from the examples of others.
Jeffrey Schillinger
At our campus we have a "Student Appreciation Day" for each of the day and evening students. It is scheduled at the beginning of class or lunch time. This setting allows all the students/faculty/administration to mingle with each other. We play fun games and make it very interactive. We encourage the upcoming graduating students to speak and share about their own personal experiences to the "newbies". Especially how they overcame obstacles while in the program and many of them extend their support thereafter.
I find that succesful studends are very goal oriented, passionate and positive thinkers. What separates successful students from other less successful one is the ability of the successful students to realize the areas of their education that may be challenging and to face it head on. Often my students that struggle in a particular area of the curriculum get better results by understanding that more focus must be placed on said materials.
Lee,
"Walking the talk" is extremely important when influencing attitudes.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Attitudes with out a doubt affect your habits, beliefs and expectations. Attitudes determine your altitude. I think time spent mentoring and monitoring students will show you why their attitudes are the way they are. Being a positive role model will affect the students HABE's when done correctly.
Elizabeth,
Many career colleges struggle to get students to participate in these types of activities, especially if the campus is mainly a commuter campus. What are some ways your campus inspires adult students to participate in campus activities?
Jeffrey Schillinger
One habit of successful students is that of finding a way to become involved in campus life. Student clubs and organizations, student employment, student government, service opportunities are just some ways students connect with their learning environment in a positive way. Students who are involved on campus generally retain at a higher rate than those who do not value co-curricular involvement.
Tammy,
There are no easy answers to things like this. Unfortunately, many students who are attending using funding from someone else, including Title IV loans, do not seem to realize they are wasting their investment until it is too late.
The most effective strategy is to plan and facilitate a compelling class meeting. Consider structuring the grading and sequence of activities such that being in class on time and staying until the end provides a tangible reward in terms of their grade.
One-on-one talks with habitual offenders can help. If that does not work, seek the support of your dean or campus to support your efforts.
Jeffrey Schillinger
