Remember students have other lives than school
I try to put this idea above the fact that my students are here for an education too.
Stormy,
Good thoughts they are. Thanks for sharing this approach with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Yes, it is a balancing act to perform a service, yet don't be too invasive. We are asked to teach - to build a program that teaches information and skills. On the same token, we are held accountable for results, while we are also expected to not have too many expectations of the students. What a paradox? I do agree that there needs to be a balance between what we feel is important to pass on to students and what their involvement is in the learning process. My biggest pet peave are teachers who think their information is the most important and students fail trying to pass. For example - if you are a freshman taking psychology - I feel it should be a fun, easy, exciting course introducing the students to the field of psychology. Leave the heavy teaching and learning to the ones majoring in the field. Just some thoughts.
Karen,
I am there as well with my students. I find that I have to find a way each new class session to reach such students. Sometimes I am successful and sometimes not. I strive to be creative and work to learn about all the strategies I can to help these students because I don't want them failing on my watch. I want to make sure that I do everything I can to be of help and support and if they do fail it is because they have not extended the necessary effort to be successful.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I am faced with this dilema every day at my school. There is such a wide variation in the class as to time outside class available for homework/studying,knowledge base, study skills, reading skills. Because of small cohorts there is tremendous pressure to pass the students, but to do so doesn't do the students any good if they haven't learned what they need to know to progress. I am faced constantly with the challenge of trying to figure out how to get the struggling students to study more effectively so that I am not having to reduce the standards of education.
Daniel,
You make a very good point and one that is often lost by students when they get surrounded by life pressures. They are in school to better their lives so they need to stick in school and get the knowledge and skills required to be successful and they can't acquire either when they aren't there.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
We try to offer support for students who have life obligations which demand their time, but School must be a priority.
Afterall, it doesn't mean much to skip a day of school for a few extra hours at work when the student barely makes half of what they're spending each day to be at school.
The whole point to Occupational Learning is to enhance your income status with a new job or to engage in a new and enriching field of work. To deprioritize that process is tragic, short-term planning.
Nicole,
You are doing all of the right things in terms of learning about your students so you can provide them with support. You are right on in terms of them having to make being a student a priority. If they don't put forth the effort then they won't be successful.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I agree Anne.
AOL allows me to have multiple screen names and e mails. I teach several sections of 2 different courses. I have set up 2 different screen names, 1 for each class.
The College at which I teach, has a great e mail system which is provided FREE to students by the college. To avoid viruses, I only open student e mails from their college address so I do not get a virus from a student...again!
I try very hard to keep this fact in mind and always get background information on every student on the first day of class -- whether or not they have children, work outside of school, their detailed work hours, etc. However, there has to be a balance and it is necessary for school to be a priority to the student.
David,
You make a very important point. As instructors we need to help our students work through situations that impact their ability to be successful in the classroom but we cannot reduce our requirements and standards for the course. To do so reduces our professionalism and is unfair to the students since they will not have earned the grade given or acquired the needed knowledge or skills.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I listen to what studemts are telling me and give them examples of how other students have managed, but try to be empathetic and reasonable. It is very important not to "frighten" adult learners who are returning to school after a long period of time, and to create a supportive environment from the beginning, emphasizing available resources and ways to contact me outside of the class.
I am going to disagree with this one; at least a little. Yes our students have lives outside of school but instructors giving too much can ruin the educational experience. It is not exceptable for me to walk into to work and cancel class due to some events from the previous day. Same should go for students. Our only reason for being there is not to just present material but to help build a total package of skills needed to be successful in a career. I may not have liked my strict instructors when I was in school but I have learned more from them then just course material. Remember we are not here to be freinds with students.
This is a fact. I look at it as I used to be a student and remember everything that was going on during that time period.
I try to keep things reasonable and follow a formula that one of my old college professors told me which was double the credit hours for the class and this is how much time per week the students should spend on your assignments. It seems to work well. I have to admit that I've come across professors whose forgotten about this but then don't they have lives too?
I take into consideration my students work schedules.
Most students do have families and jobs so we need to make education feasible.
