In order to teach effectively, it's crucial to have an understanding of these areas in regards to your students so that you will be able to teach in an effective manner.
Hi Richard - Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree - if we do no pre-testing how will we ever know what they have learned? Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Without regular assessment of what skills your students have, and what they gain, you have no more insight into your success than a small businessperson who didn't keep a balance sheet. You have to understand what your students' know before you can teach them appropriate material at a level that is relevant to them. And you have to keep track what they learned if you are going to have a successful class. This means assessments both during and at the end of the term.
Hi Dorothy- Thanks for your post to the forum. I'm sure, like me, you are appalled at the number of students who graduate from high school with limited reading skills. It makes our work incredibly difficult. How do we make a student competent in reading and writing skills in just 2 or maybe 4 years, with limited remedial services available and students with limited time to take adavantage of what we can provide? Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Because all of the assignments for the class I teach are written essays, it is critical to review the literacy level of each student. I try to point out to them how to make their written skills better. Without a good foundation in reading, the material I teach is very difficult and without adequate writing skills, it is not possible to compelte the assignments with the highest level of potential grade.
As an instructor, it is your responsibility to assess the general education skills of your students so that you are able to prepare your teaching plan accordingly.
When you assess your students the first time you can see how much they already know and then utilize that in your lessons. Once you have that information then you can use it to assess them and prepare them for what they need in the jobs they are training for. It is a great way and guide to have for teaching and assessing what the students know.
Hi Summer - Especailly with schools that have "open admission" policies which include most community colleges and many private/for-profits, we do get students that can barely read/write. It's very disturbing, but something we must somehow deal with. Susan
I was just having this discussion with a student today. She is an older student and said she didn't have a problem with the diversity of backgrounds and levels, but with what you said-the reality some students are functionally illiterate.
Having had several students like this, it is amazingly hard not to wonder how many people failed this student along the line, and to try not to do the same. By admitting them, it is an ethical issue, are we as a school setting them up for failure. I work with these students, but more importantly encourage them to get outside tutoring and explain the value of a solid educational foundation. Unfortunately, since many previous teachers (throughout their education) have just passed them, they can expect that as well.
I would like to see our school have a stronger basic skills tutoring program that is mandatory for students who test at a certain level.
You have to get a sense of what the level the class as a whole in their ability to comprehend the material being presented. I find it helpful to give several small tests one verbal, one written on the board and one after watching a video to see where their learning skills are best met.
In my classes reading a ruler and tape measure are vital, but in every class over half can't do this. Most of these students have already take a math class, and drafting class, so it is a little frustrating to be going over basics again.
You are right if we are grading fairly this wouldn't be a problem, but it is and will be as people "who earn passing grades" are not always passing.
Hi Mak - I am not certain what you are asking. Certainly having students read aloud in class will help you to identify students who have obvious reading problems. (Of course this risks very much embarrassing those students). Susan
By reading out loud in class considered to be an assessments of general education skills level, individually as well as a class?
because it gives the student as well as the instructor an idea of how well they are doing.
It gives me a starting point and then direction towards getting the information to the students in a way they can understand.
As other have stated here you have to know at what level to start. If you start to low you risk rejection by the student(s) for treating them to "childish." If you start to high you risk students mentally and eventually physically withdrawing from your class because the material is too advanced for them to comprehend even with great amount of work on their part.
If you miss the mark and fail to correct your actions not only wiil you have failed the students but your retention rate as well!
I agree. It's as simple as that: you have to know where to start.
It would not benefit the students if you were teaching at a level or style that they struggled to comprehend.
Hi Gwen - Thanks for your post to the forum. We all know that we see new students who clearly have problems with reading, writing and interpersonal skills. Since we will usually only have them as students for a brief period, it is unrealistic to plan on making them competent in those skills. So, the best we can do is to do our best, at mentoring, tutoring, and finding them as much available assistance that we can. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
You need to know the level of your student, their basic understanding of things that that need in daily life. If a student cannot read or write we are setting them up for failure, when the expectation is to keep up.
These are foundations of every course that students will have to take in college. So success in these skills is a good pointer to the success of the student in their program.
