In order to help students create a supportive learning environment, I establish set times for peer interaction every day. I also encourages students to work in teams to solve problems.
Ryan,
This is the human factor of teaching and it is as important as the technical content that is shared. The students need to know you care about them as human beings and what to help them to be successful. In return you want from them effort and energy.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Getting to know your students ata deaper level helps, identify the support system they have or do not have. I try to get to know a little about each students home life so I can identify what each individuals support system is.
Student with the lack of support at home, I try to encourage them to use me as the support. I find that many of these students are stand-offish, so I try to find ways to conect with the student so they can trust me.
I agree Cody. I find that in larger groups students can have a hard time coming to a consensus about how to break up a project or how to simply proceed as a group.
At times, I do step back an monitor the interactive and allow the group dynamics to unfold. However, it does become necessary to step in from time to time and facilitate.
Cristiane,
I like the idea of using the cards to gain insight into how your students perceive themselves as students. I would change the asking about their weaknesses to learning challenges. The reason is I think you will get more useable information from them. For example, a learning challenge might be the need to develop good note taking skills. This would enable you to pair students up or give them guided notes, etc.. Another student might list understanding technical material in the textbook. A strategy could be developed to help with that. The point is to see where they see their learning challenges so you can support them. If you have any questions on this please let me know. I will be glad to provide any additional help I can.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One idea I had was to get on a flash card from each student at the start of the cohort:
1- their main strengths-say to name 3 of them
2-their main weaknesses-
all in relation to school.
then I thought about matching them up based on deficits, for instance: one student strength maybe studing for lecture test and other Lab practical where their weakness may be the opposite-in this case could be useful to pair them up to see if they can create a support system and achieve a balance in the classroom! What do you thing Dr. Meers?
Depending on the number of students, I encourage them to team up with one or two classmates during drill after a new lesson. It does not only reinforce their understanding of the concept taught but it also gives them the chance to confirm their learned procedure either through the team or group and also through the instructor. I observed in my class some students who were not "groupies" at first but realized that they benefit more from the group work than working by themselves alone. This strategy promotes a support system during class time most specially to working students who do not have spare time to stay after class.
Lisa,
Good point about how to develop both the instructional as well as the human part of students. They need to be both when they are ready to seek employment.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
WHEN STARTING A NEW PHASE OF INSTRUCTION, DISCUSS THE NECESSITY FOR TEAM WORK. ASSIGN PROJECTS THAT ARE DECIDED UPON BY THE STUDENTS AND HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL PARAMETERS THAT NEED TO BE MET. THIS ALLOWS THE INST. TO OBSERVE STUDENT PARTICIPATION, MOTIVATION, AND LEADERSHIP ABILITIES. IT ALSO ALLOWS OTHER STUDENTS INSIGHT ABOUT THIER CLASSMATES. THE INSTRUCTOR CAN THEN OFFER SUGGESTIONS & GUIDELINES, ENCOURAGING STUDENT'S IDEAS & VALIDATING THEIR PARTICIPATION.
LC
Cody,
I am a big user of student learning groups for projects and panels in my classes. I think they really help students to grow and develop in their communication and leadership abilities. Your caution is a good one because it is easy for one student to take a group over or do the work and the other coast along. I have my group expectations set out where each contributes and shares so that when they task is completed they can be equally evaluated.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As for student study groups, they are absolutely invaluable. However, sometimes they need some guidance in their group. I let them know that, if they want to meet at school, I am always available to answer any questions, bounce ideas off of, or just join the group for awhile to have group discussions. My students have my email address, but I am not always able to get to my emails in a timely manner, so this has worked well for my students in the past.
Amanda,
You are providing support to and for your students in a number of ways that shows them you care about them as individuals but also that you care about their success. You are helping them to create a future for themselves and providing the support to do it if they are willing to put forth the effort.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The educational setting I work in has a very diverse background of students, including age, race etc. I've found that it's important to help the students see that they're all in this together. We're all here to learn, so I like to make the students feel empowered by involving them in the teaching process. If they get a concept that other students are struggling with, I let them come up to the board and teach or lecture.
I also pass around notecards so that everyone can put their cell phone number on each card, so that the students can contact one another if they need help with homework.
Thomas,
This is a great resource for both the students and yourself because they outline the issue and then propose ways of resolving the issue.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
We use Student Support Plans to involve the student in identifying and developing a way to solve issues
Lisa,
I agree and think the solid systems developed in the campus environment also cause the students to have higher expectations of the systems they have outside of school. When students see that there is "something better," for lack of a better term, they start to expect it everywhere. This is part of the virtuous cycle that can cause students to be more successful. High expectations breed higher expectations.
~Colin
Sharon,
This is a good system to make available to students. Thanks for sharing this strategy with us. I know it will be of help to other instructors.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Sami,
This is a great resource for your students. I am sure this increases the retention rate of your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Helping new incoming students into a program can be supported by developing a buddy system. The buddy system is a match up between a senior student and an incoming student. The senior student offers support and wisdom to the new student on how to be successful and manage the rigors of an accelerated program.We find that retention is better when we set up this kind of support system for incoming students.
One of our support system at my college which I found very helpful to our students and their retention is to use the mentor system. The mentor system is where students helping students. It is a voluntary process and you are required to help, coach, guide a new student to the college that was assigned to you. In turn the mentee becomes a mentor him/herself and it goes on and on.
