Students ;earn better if they are the center of focus in the classroom. They use hands-on learning to motivate them into learning new material and bounce ideas off of one another to promote further learning.
Jennifer,
I agree and believe that our first and foremost duty to our students is to do all we can to assure their understanding of information that may be foreign to them. That usually requires some one-on-one, individual attention, and some special attention. There's an old saying (not really true) that make the point "the teacher hasn't taught if the student hasn't learned". Students like stories and this is one way to reach out to students to first get their attention, and then have the instruction tucked away in the story.
Barry Westling
Teaching students is not only about filling their minds with information but how the information is important and valuable for their upcoming career fields. I think it is important for students to understand you were a student once too, and to hear stories about what you have experienced in relation to the class you are teaching.
Bakhriya,
Yes, when we're student centered, we are focused on how we can best serve our students, meeting with them individually, and seeking ways to assure their success.
Barry Westling
it is very important for instructors to be able to engage students, to make them to be interested and feel welcome in classroom
Karen,
Good points! For most learners, I think the biggest factor that contributes to attitudes, performance, and cooperation is the degree to which students feel their time and effort is valued, activities are productive and aligned with their program of study, and they feel their instructor has structrued assignments geared to prepare them for real work settings. Reaching out to individual student needs is one good way to assure these measures are met.
Barry Westling
I think any seasoned instructor can give you many examples of what it is to be a student-centered instructor. For me, it is all about being willing to provide flexibility. It can be extremely difficult to recognize that what has worked in the past, may not be working now. Turning the class over to the students, whether briefly, or for an extended period of time can be unsettling. When working with adult learners it is very important to recognize their concerns and attributes. Listen to their concerns, and address how they can possibly help to resolve those issues. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not…but, it is always worth the attempt. I believe students recognize an instructor’s flexibility as a tool in an attempt to move them forward.
Tifany,
I agree. Students can sense when their instructor is engaging with them, relating, being approachable, wanting to see their success. There are all kinds of students, some less motivated than others. But our job will be be more satisfying if we focus on how we can assist our students in achieving their career goals.
Barry Westling
I feel that you must relate directly with the students because all of the students learn differently and no one should feel left behind or left out. Its very important to establish trust with students to develope a great student teacher relationship.
Patti,
I'm a true believer in student centered instruction. I'm fortunate and appreciative that I have the autonomy to modify and make adjustment to my classes in order to meet student needs. But even in more structured programs or classes, creative instructors can usually find ways to meet students needs. One simple way is to plan regular informal chats that give some indication where students have been and to a degree, what their capabilities are.
Barry Westling
I feel that being a student centered instructor is a great way to ensure your students get what they need. If the instuctor focuses on the learning styles and the needs of their students, the student will take be able to learn the information in the class, and retain the information. By providing a student centered classroom environment, the student will feel more comfortable and at ease. The student will understand the goals of the classroom, and this will help the student stay focused.
Tammy,
One way to address a comment like this is by saying something like, "I like being student-centered because it allows me to do ...XYZ".
Barry Westling
I totally agree about student centered. I have a question though. Have any of you ran into a co-worker that is not student centered even though she says she is?? If so, any suggestions??
John,
I try to simply the idea by just trying to relate to students where they are. Each class will have it's own blend of superstars and under-achievers, and usually a bunch right in the middle. Only by getting to know them and establishing a level of mutual trust and respect can I expect to "be real" and honestly tell them what they need to hear, especially if there expectations not being met.
Barry Westling
Of the 3, I find personalizing the instructor connection the most challenging. In High School, it was primarily done through mentoring after school -- many students wanted a big brother/sister relationship ("face" time) to help reinforce the learning process. Many career college students in making the transition from that High School environment to "you are an adult now" find it a challenge to "carry their own water." The transition process is, in my mind's eye, intended to prepare the student for the manager/employee relationship: making a significant contribution to the firm. Translation: self-motivated, reliable, and profitable quality contributor.
The concept of personalizing is viewed differently by some students -- some see it from an empathic aspect. For example, if the student's car becomes non-functional (no alternative transportation attempt was made), then missing class should be forgiven because the two of you now have a "personal" relationship. Even though the instructor is personalizing the learning, i.e. taking into consideration learning styles and strategies, including perceptual modalities, Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, environmental needs, personality types, and other influences on student success and motivation to maximize their engagement, it may all rely on the student's literacy level (Retrieved 5/31/2013 from http://personalizedlessonplans.org/index.html).
Jamey,
Great! We all know that there is a certain amount of knowledge a student has to master in most of courses And while that is important, how it's delivered is sometimes shaped by the preferences of the instructor rather than modifying the lessons to suit individual student learning styles and their receptivity to the material. Learner-centered simply places emphasis on how best to reach most students.
Barry Westling
I have found that staying student centered helps to keep my ego in check and my lessons fcused on why the students enrolled to get an education that prepares them to get and hold a job. If I become too self absored I start adjusting lesson plans etc to serve me needs and ego rather than my students needs. My goal is to stay focused on improving the delivery of what my students need to know rather than trying to find ways to squeeze in those topics I want them to know. The organizational tips offered are very helpful - the more organized I am the easier it is for me to stay focused on my students.
Chuck,
You're right, we are the servants of our students. We should view them each as an opportunity to make a difference in their lives by our efforts.
Barry Westling
I believe that being a student-centered (or as I now prefer to say, "learner"-centered) instructor reflects a mindset and overall teaching philosophy and orientation of respect and positive regard towards those am I am engaged in (the) learning process with (as opposed to the one-up/one-down power or status differential between student/learner and instructor/teacher). As an instructor, part of my role and capacity is to help meet the educational/learning needs of the students; I am there to in essence serve them, not vice-versa.
Granted there are academic standards, expectations and requirements which must be met and upheld (eg. plagiarism is not acceptable, and therefore I would be doing a disservice to students if I were to mark a plagiarized work as "passing"), but understanding that students are individuals who are seeking to develop or increase some intellectual/social capacity and/or potential is to also recognize them as capable and motivated individuals and we are in essence engaged in a collaborative endeavor rather than authoritative/subjugated power-differentiated relationship.
Tammy,
Yes, feeling a sense of autonomy in the instructional process is important with adult learners. I think that's why variety of instructional strategies, activities, and resources is good as it captures more of the different learning styles that are likely to be present in a given class.
Barry Westling
