Rich,
In short term training programs this is a common problem. The students have to find effective and efficient ways of acquiring the content. I have used guided notes and study skill sheets to help them see how they can work through the material at the accelerated pace that they are experiencing.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I am constantly dealing with overwhelmed students. Many of the concepts we teach are brand new to them and the information comes very quickly in our boot camp style program. I am constantly torn with balancing the abstract and the concrete in order to keep them interested/engaged and help them to push through.
I always tell the students a few things. First there is much information. Study every day so they can absorb the information. Their brains need the time to absorb the information and rearrange it so they can take it back out when they need it next term or later in their career. I remind the student it may not seem like it now, but believe me and have a little faith, the brain works this way. I also have the students speak to other students who are in the next term who have experienced this and are having their AHA moments.
IDA,
I have had this experience as well. They need to develop self discipline and maturity because they are now in college and preparing for their careers. They have to learn that it is up to them if they want success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have found that younger students have a difficult time managing their personal lives which leads to the inability to study. properly.
Melissa,
Thank you for making this very important point in relation to student engagement. Many students face over whelming life problems and challenges while trying to stay in school. Helping them to see that they can forget or at least reduce their thinking about these problems for a while during class can be very beneficial. Making class fun and engaging helps them to see that by staying in school they are shaping their future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I understand the overwhelmed feeling. Personal life can play a big role when it comes to students being overwhelmed at school. I do know from some experience having instructors that understand the students situations can make a world of difference when it comes to learning in the classroom during a difficult time. I have found that doing fun activities can help keep their mind focus on the classroom and not so much their outside problems. Like i said speaking from experience i myself have had to try and focus in school and doing different hands on labs always helped me to not think of my personal problems while trying to learn new things.
I agree, it is overwhelming for any student just coming into a program that they may not have any idea on the subject matter, so semantic memories is one of our biggest jobs.
Stu,
It seems for many older students the ability to take good notes is a problem. I use guided notes and help them see how to get structure to the content into management units of information. Once they get over this hurdle they seem to take off and build in confidence.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I see this alot, I help the students by showing them how to take good notes and understand what they are doing.
Rose,
Good for you because wild and crazy are two elements of content retention. This way they have a crazy story to fall back on when they are trying to recall a certain concept or skill application. These are called "memory hooks" and you are giving these "hooks" to your students so they have something to hand the new content on.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Kristen,
You make a very good point about how instructors often are teaching life skills as well as specific content. As you have found many students come to you without adequate reading, note taking and communication skills. Helping them to get organized and more competent in their writing and verbal communication becomes a part of the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
William,
You are right about this being a challenge. Hopefully in follow up what you have shared has become a part of their long term memory and they are able to pull that information out and apply it as needed months later.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree time management techniques help students out a lot. I also use specific, and as crazy examples as I can, when I give them new information because they will remember crazy stories that help bring back the information I really want them to know.
Many of my stundent in the MA program seem overwhelmed because some lack time management. I've began to teach the students how to balance work and school in order to become successful. The first step was to become organized and make a schedules for study time.
Our business model has the students moving on every three weeks. The information we give them may not be required or applied for months. Attempting to make the experience episodic is challenging.
Katrina,
You make a good point. I have seen this a lot with students in programs like this. The volume of information along with the expectations can bury them if they don't have a method for organizing their work and their personal lives. This is where we can help them acquire strategies for note taking and refining their student skills.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
