Open Mind
I have experienced many students who did not have the capacity of an open mind. When the coursework began to get difficult and the concepts more abstract, these students had great difficulty no matter how small I broke down the material. Mnay students become aggressive because the course concept differs from what they know. Any ideas/advice on how to resolve this?
Hi Qunna:
This is a great way to get the students involved in the discussion, definitely a fun way of making the class more robust.
Regards, Barry
Hi Rebekah:
One of the best ways of promoting an open mind/being a student-centered instructor is to consistently be flexible in our approach. This may be difficult, especially with technical course work that must be delivered to the student in order for them to move on in a training program.
However, if we can always keep in mind the teaching methods that work best for your student group, and having a willingness to make changes in delivery on the fly will promote the outcomes that are in the best interests of our students.
Regards, Barry
Hi Dale:
One of the best ways of promoting an open mind/being a student-centered instructor is to consistently be flexible in our approach. This may be difficult, especially with technical course work that must be delivered to the student in order for them to move on in a training program.
However, if we can always keep in mind the teaching methods that work best for your student group, and having a willingness to make changes in delivery on the fly will promote the outcomes that are in the best interests of our students.
Regards, Barry
Hi Albert:
Very true - and if possible, we should encourage this type of flexibility and approach whenever we can. One way to help prepare the students for this is to describe the concept of "open mind" to them early in the class, then use and facilitate it consistently throughout the session.
Regards, Barry
Hi Max:
Exactly! In fact, this is the very rationale behind group work. By hearing information in a different way from another person, the student may be able to better understand a concept you have discussed in class.
Regards, Barry
Gabrielle,
I like your response. Students often don't want to admit that they're not prepared...whether it's because they didn't do their homework or this material is truly challenging in another way.
I also like doing a pair-share in class. I strive to create group opportunities anyway, so having them partner up, discuss what we just covered, and then report back to the whole group works very nicely and seems natural to my classes.
Beth
Hi Cheri:
That's a great idea - and furthermore, by presenting ideas ina new way, it helps our students become better critical thinkers.
Regards, Barry
Hi Christina:
This sounds like a great exercise to have the students practice "open mind".
The idea is to try new things to stretch the student's ability to think critically.
Great idea!
Regards, Barry
Hi Carrie:
That's always a difficult problem for a student to surmount. One thing that may ease the difficulty and reassure the student (if possible) is to offer one on one tutoring, and give them a chance to ask questions without being put on the spot in front of their classmates.
Regards, Barry
It's up to us to be creative and to redirect information in as many of formats that we can make possible.
“Diverting the aggression into a discussion†is a wonderful and effective strategy. It forces the students to look at how and why the beliefs they hold were formed, which inevitably leads to a scrutiny of those beliefs if not the foundation for those beliefs. These students may never have thought that deeply about the subject before and may discover that some beliefs or principles they hold are unsound in light of the bigger picture or finer concept.
Who would disagree that an open mind is a good quality in students? What I think is interesting is the ways in which students are not aware of having a closed mind, and this is also true for instructors. It isn't so much a closed mind, as a blind spot, something a student or instructor cannot perceive that seems to present the greatest difficulties sometimes.
As far as students go, I suppose the biggest problem I feel I confront is those students that don't believe they can learn something; they have an idea about themselves and it is closed to alternatives.
With instructors it is generally teaching preferences, even when they don't match the needs of their students; doing things because one believes they are 'best' done that way, rather than selecting what is best for the context, for the particular students one has.
I agree that students need to keep an open mind. I also think that instructors need to keep an open mind and demonstrate that in the classroom.
Students that have an open-mind, seem to have the ability to more easily adapt to change. Wheteher the change is in teaching technique or material, having an open-mind will greatly enhance their learning potential.
I have noticed this with some of my students too. One idea that has helped me in the past is to have individual meetings with students. I've noticed students are more comfortable opening up regarding the struggles they are having if I sit down with them one-on-one.
I feel that you are doing a great job, maybe all they need is tutoring from a different person. Maybe they can relate better to someone else.
I keep reassuring them how much they actually have learned and they don't realize it. Find different ways of presenting material.
I think that doing some sort of "how are we doing" assessment is helpful maybe even weekly. Or a minute paper to see what is difficult and what they are comforable with.
Divert the agression into discussion about what they know vs what the text or field says about it.
If they think in black and white terms show them what that would look like and how it would play out in the field, then what the shades of gray are and how they will work better than black and white thinking. Part of it is "seeing" with new eyes and that is the role of the instructor to connect dots and help them see in a new light.
