Great suggestion. I too enjoy pausing with students to review how many key points of knowledge they have already attained on a paticular subject, including where they began, how far they have come and how close they are to the final goal and I like to sincerely congratulate them on their accomplishments. Sometimes students are quite surprised and encouraged by it. I also like to show inspiring short videos on what they will be doing in their profession which excites them and I think they like seeing that I get enthused by it as well.
Our school is trade based and one of the classes is actually working in a real live sector of the industry business that they are being trained for. This class often sees students with a belief that they cannot do what is needed and this fear generally motivated by the fear of the unknown. The solution is working one on one with these students and guiding them to success one day at a time. A majority of students are able to turn that fear around on the first day that they actually do the job, they start to see that they can do, they can make it happen. They simply need help and guidance to overcoming their fear of failure first.
One thing to inspire students and or co-workers to greater self-efficacy would be the ability to motivate and promote the positive. Be attentive and listen to students.
By being an example, sharing personal success and asking them to do the same as well as watching my own self-talk and attitudes contribute to self-efficacy.
Thanks so much,
Kelsey
Dawn,
Great post, thank you. Your peers that read this should benefit if they attempt to "catch students doing something correct."
Jeffrey Schillinger
Beatrice,
Teachers who are viewed by students as "similar others" have a strong chance of building great rapport and inspiring students to do what they have done.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I inspire students by sharing my field experience and knowledge as this will help them enhance their skill set.
I try to tie everything - lectures, labs, homework, other assignments - into success. Some short term (success on the next test or in the course) and some long term (passing licensure exam, working in profession). I hope this assists students to visualize the smal steps they need to take in order to achieve those big goals - the reward that comes from hard work.
I try to appeal to all the students possible career opportunities. I ask them to imagine a field or career type that their own education could not acheive.
I talk about "want" vs "have to" all the time. I am known for my little inspirational speeches about making things happen instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you. I have been told more than once that these speeches come to the minds of my students well after they are graduated.
I believe that we must sometimes teach our students to be students. Helping them to learn to study, how to outline, and take exams no only provides them with the necessary skills they need but also builds self-efficacy.
I think I'm a good inspiration to others in encouraging them to continue their education if that is what they desire. I think I model how one can be successful if they set goals and are determined. I think I really enjoy talking about education and what opportunities are available by completing a degree.
Gwendolyn,
We had math objectives imbedded in our electronics classes and students always did well. When we separated the math into a math general education course, student struggled even when covering the same objectives. Math phobia is real and tough to overcome.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree. Ownership makes you more aware of your actions and forces you to be more responsiable for your own actions.
I teach pharmacology which includes math. I have some students who state they cannot do math. I try and help them understand that believing they cannot do it impedes their ability to do the math. Just telling them I know they will be able to do the math, seems to be quite successful.
Sometimes students get defeated or over-whelmed with the amount of learning that has to take place during a 10 week term. This can be very true when they fail a major exam. I try to talk with the student and try to give them a sense of the "whole" The "whole" in this case being their original goal, i.e., completer the program, become credentialed, and employed and how far they have come in the program and their course.
We encourage tutoring and during these sessions we encourage positive self talk and tell them they are wanting to succeed just by being here to tutor.
We tell them they will succeed and that we are here for them to make sure of it.
Heather,
Thanks for this post. Many students have very little confidence that they can control their lives. Helping them to se it is possible and teaching them how to do it is as important to student success as teaching the subject matter. Only the students who are enrolled benefit from what we do.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I believe positive affirmation helps inspire students. If you let a student know they are making great progress or improvement it makes them feel good. Pointing out the positive is what I do to inspire greater self-efficacy.
I like to inspire my students to greater self-efficacy by showing them that they have truly learned something in class and helping them to apply that in lab and in preparation for entering the work force.
Having a positive attitude with students and co-workers goes a long way in promoting the notion of making something happen. All co-workers and students, know that my starting line is "there are no problems or issues, only opportunities". My staff has learned that this type of an attitude gets more done, positive responses even when the end answer my be no. It takes work, but with all buying into the vision of assisting the student with a positive attitude, retention is helped.
