By using life experiences in the classroom it makes the subject matter come to life and helps the adult learner to be able to relate to situation.
Hi Deborah!
You are absolutely correct. If we come from a family of Doctors, we are likely to become a Dr. or work in the medical field, etc. It's about having those experiences in everyday life at home.
We can never underestimate the importance of life experiences.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I also share failures and have them problem solve to see how they could have handled the situation differently with perhaps a more favorable outcome.
I have actually enjoying using student life experiences in the classroom. I find it a valuable tool to use in the teaching of writing. Their work experience, their career goals and interests, their intended and planned careers all make it easier for the students to find topics and areas of interest for writing and research. It also helps to keep them professional and focused. If students are doing writing about their intended career or research in that area, it becomes real to them and then writing an essay is not just an exercise in order to pass an English class that they really do not care very much about but becomes a meaningful and important experience for each student.
Sharing real life experiences also shows that you are "real" not some robot and it also serves as a good ice breaker when used appropriately.
When real life experiences are shared, it cements for the student that what they are learning is relevant to the real world. It is not always easy to convince a student why they are learning something. By providing real examples, it gives credibility to the topic.
Some students lack the basic skills for success. So sharing their life experiences allows them to be involved with the class, and provides them the opportunity to become successful.
Regardless of the content being taught life has parrallels in many ares, as an instructor it is valuable to allow students to share their life experiences and then relate to how the experiance might apply in the context of the new subject matter. this allows the student an opportunity to gain insight into the new material in a way that encourages a sense of familiarity.
Eric, it is such a powerful reenforcer/motivatotr for anyone to be able to share both successes and challenges.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 facilitator
Using life experiences in the classroom helps my students see the value of the subject matter being taught. It helps the students see that others have been in their shoes and they have worked hard so they can to.
it makes them feel successful and allows them to connect to thye material being delivered better.
Using life experiences helps to establish the relevancy of the subject to the student. I believe that this is applicable regardless of the subject matter because career college students are consumers as well.
When I ask students why they chose a particular degree or profession to pursue you will learn that the student was related it to some life experience (i.e. I wanted to become a nurse because I lost my mother to cancer, I wanted to be a bricklayer because I want to build my own house, etc. etc...
Life experiences are concrete. They help people understand a concept faster. That physical connection accelerates the whole learning process. Mecanical and repeatitive actions bring better training results to any demonstrations or rote lectures.
I like to use some life experiences about the subject if it is revelant and if I know some of the students will then share their experiences. Having an older student or two in the class that has been in the field that is willing to open up and share catches the interest of the rest of the students and it is more like listening to your peer instead of an instructor.
Hi Christine!
It always encouraging to hear someone's success stories. We often experience doubts and fears about our abilities.
Good job!
Jane Davis
Ed106 Facilitator
Nothing excites a student more than an instructor telling them how successful they were in the field which they have brought all this experience and knowledge back to...like Al Bundy reliving his glory days.
My students love to hear stories from when I was in their particular field. It really engaged them and let them see the light at the end of the tunnel and that they can achieve the same goals as myself.
I think it is also important to refer Back.....you can give them true to life experiences and show HOW you thought your way through the situation and resolved the problem.
Using life experiences in the classroom serves two purposes. One, it demonstrates successes to other students. Second, it draws the contributor of the life experience story into the role of teacher, strengthening self-image and further engaging the contributor in the learning experience. The other students become more engaged as well, feeling confident that they, too, have experiences that can and will be shared in future sessions or further along in the course of the current discussion.
i alway talk about what i did and that it was just as hard for me when i first started
