Inadequate backgrounds? Maybe, maybe not.
All schools have students with inadequate backgrounds. Not all are related to socio-economic backgrounds, in my opinion. I see many students with a desire to work and to learn, but few skills or habits that help them succeed. Many have no real habit of looking beyond the page that is before them. They do not look up words they don't know. They do not take time to put terms or concepts into groups of similar items. They do not know how to compare and contrast terms and concepts. Writing skills are often lower than some grammar school student's skills. I am often faced with trying to teach learning skills on the fly and then I run out of time for the substantive materials. I always have a Plan B for the substantive materials, but I seem to get tripped up by other factors that should have been resolved long before the student enrolled in college. This is not a shot at my school. I see this at every school, even elite post-secondary institutions. It is easy to anticipate this problem. It is difficult to resolve it.
I agree. Which is why I have my students write a short autobiography and close it with why they selected HIT as their course of study. This gives me a peek into each if their backgrounds. You'd be surprised as to what the students share about their life with you. It really is eye opening and helps me adjust my teaching methods. I am so excited when the most challenged student has an AH HA moment...
Hi Gerry:
Your altruistic attitude and commitment to your students should help them in their career pursuits.
We do have to work with who we get. But, as in life, all is not roses (and plenty of thorns). So, we make the best of it, as professional educators. With this approach, students will respect and appreciate our efforts, even if it takes a while for them to realize it.
Regards, Barry
Students come to us as a "mixed bag" of skills, personality and backgrounds. I have always taken it upon myself to guide them and direct them to the best of my knowledge and experiences. Today, my student population have little or no soft skills in their mixed bag. We try to teach them that as well, because what ever career course they are in, soft skills are a must. I have help from Career services with teaching soft skills, and once in a while, the student fails to acknowledge the fact that they even need the soft skills. This seems to be the student whose background has little or no guidance in it. I truly have no idea how I personally would have turned out had I not had parents who I respected and looked up to. I started out in a career school and "evolved" to someone with a masters degree!! I was 20 years in the making too! My heart is still for the student of "little" faith, that may or may not had the advantages that I had.
Hi Robert:
I agree with you and acknowledge that where there may be some benefit if a student has been exposed to past academic coursework, most vocational courses are going to be teaching skills and proficiency. In this setting, everyone starts at the same place. I've seen "predictably weaker" students really excel in courses beyond their more educated classmates.
I think when some students are given the right atmosphere, good instruction, suitble learning environment, along with their own motivation, determiniation and drive, they achieve more than some expect. Again, I agree that all students have the potential to achieve and perform well, given the right attitude by the faculty, and the right learning envirnment.
Regards, Barry
Regardless of skill or education it is still challenging to communicate subject matter to all students. I try not to judge intellect based on either. I encourage students to work harder on weakness and enhance their strength. At some point they may start to excel and have success.
Hi Josh:
Good or bad, technology is here to stay. As tgeachers, we need to be cognizant that are students are very tech savy and, although we don't have to become IT tech's, we do need to teach within the environment they live in. Not so much for the older students, definitely from the younger set.
The key to keeping up with change is to "go with the flow" (rather than resist it). In other words, we can embrace technology and create assignments that utilize this environment more than in the past. So, adding PPT, timed vocabulary lessons from a CD, or demonstrations that provide simulations, just a few examples where the student can use technology to enhance their knowledge.
Look how much you probably rely on techology in your own world - from banking, to word processing, to speadsheets, to PPT, etc. And I know you've used spell checkers in your writing. So it is with our students, perhaps even more so.
Just my opinion, but think about it.
Regards, Barry
I feel that students come to school to learn. Often they may not be at the level we are teaching, but we are there to bring them to that level. I put myself in place of the student that way I get a perspective of the way the student feels and I try to teach with that in mind. I think technology is making students "dumb". Students no longer look up words in the dictionary they use the spell check and if they don't know the meaning they are out of luck. All of this is to say sutdents don't have inadequate backgrounds the method of teaching has changed.
Josh
Hi Joseph:
Wopuldn't it be wonderful to always have fully prepared studts who are ready to take their education to the next level? Sadly, not realistic.
Most vocational scghools have bare bones admission tests, and of course, the focus is enrollment. That puts a great burden on the instructional staff to shore up weaker students.
Just as problematic is when there is a mismatch in stuident goals. When students are not interested in class topics, they're going to be harder to motivate and keep their attention.
For instructors, we take who we get, provide the best learning environment we can, and try. We will never fail a student - they will fail themselves. So, we offer encouragement, support, patience, advice, and instructional lessons, with the hope that serious students will benefit from our efforts.
Regards, Barry
