I agree, David, planning ahead is key! After five years teaching the same composition course, I have accumulated detailed instructions for each assignment, PPT presentations, rubrics, and sample papers. Of course, I refine this material when textbooks change or an assignment is modified or I want to just add links to good material I have found online that explains a concept or provides additional writing support. However, the material is ready to go at the start of each class. I do have to re-invent the wheel each time a new class starts (I teach five week courses back to back, so I do not have time to not be prepared).
I will comment directly on adult learners since I teach online, and most of my students are older adults rather than students directly of high school. What I have found that works best with older students is to be prepared, to set clear expectations, relate content/concepts to their life and work experiences, provide timely detailed feedback, and direct them to resources which can help them succeed. Often, when an adult student is frustrated with managing their time and still performing at their best, and email me for support, I tell them that I, too, was once an "older student" balancing work, school, and raising a child. I remind them that it is possible, but they will have to manage their time wisely and remind themselves that they can do anything they set their mind to do. They must have faith; they must have support (enlist your spouse to cook twice a week, do your homework with your child, give the little one some crayons and some a big sheet -- spread it on the floor and tell them to see how much of the page they can fill before you complete responding to your discussion board assignments -- in other words, get creative on how to allocate time -- even if it is 10 minutes -- you can read 2 pages, work on your introductory paragraph, do some research, etc. The bottom line is that "you can do it!"
Hi Rosemarie,
How do you go about getting information about your students when starting a new class?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Gary
Understanding the learner characteristics of the students will help the instructor to develop a lesson plan that will meet all the needs of each student.
Understanding who your learner is and how they learn best is useful to instructors when planning. Knowing what makes up your student population can allow you to provide different types of activities and discussions to tap into students' needs and abilities.
I couldn't agree more. The combination of students and their backgrounds, experience, and personality can really impact the classroom environment.
One strategy that I use to try to create and foster personal support systems in the online learning environment is to use student biography forums as a starting point to connect students with one another within the class. This informal discussion opportunity allows students to make personal connections with classmates of varying ages and experiences while helping to give them an opportunity to share information they are comfortable with. This helps me to build learner profiles to use throughout the course as I interact with students as well.
Hi Thomas,
Good point about the need for instructional variety to help keep students engaged and moving forward with their learning. These types of efforts will help you to be an effective and efficient instructor.
Gary
A knowledge of learner characteristics helps in the planning and delivery of the course material. The instructor needs to be aware of the differences between traditional students and the adult learners. In addition to learner characterisitics it is important to be aware of diverse learning styles and to make accomodations for each tye of learner.
We tend to teach as we are taught and to stay within our comfort zone. In order to adequately meet the needs of our students we need to discover what works best for them; what their needs are, and where their comfort zone is so we can encourage them to step out of it and explore new possibilities. In order to do that we need to know their starting point.
If you expect the greatest amount of learning to be accomplished you must know your students and their varying characteristics.
In the first class I ask the students to tell me how they learn. We discuss the three learning styles and how they apply to the class. Then I ask them to review the learning objectives of each chapter in the text and tell me which chapter is most important. This is done as homework and then I finish the syllabus and refine the course content to meet their needs. Some of them don't really know how they learn when they come into my class the first time so this is a valuable experience for them to apply to other classes as well as mine.
Understanding learner characteristics helps me in developing my lesson plan and deciding on my teaching method. By understanding learners characteristics you may develop the best approach to make sure they retain as much information from the classes that you are teaching.
To facilitate student achievement, it is important to understand individual student characteristics. Realizing that students learn in different ways, possess different trinsic and intrinsic learning motivation, have various physical situations, etc., helps the teacher design lessons and activities, provide appropriate feedback, and generate the appropriate encouragement and assistance.
this can be a very effective tool when planning for the days lesson. This helps at our school because each student is striving for the same goal which is a particular compentancy. often we work in pairs so it helps when putting pairs together.
Hi Tarmara,
Good point! We need to always keep this in our minds as we plan our instructional deliveries. To do so will make us much more effective.
Gary
I know that as a trainer at a major organization we have learned that some persons will not and do not learn well from lectures alone. In the classroom environment we can introduce hands on learning activities that enhance content. I agree that thinking that all persons learn the same way.
When designing instructional opportunities, the designer often assumes that everyone learns the way he or she does. Unfortunately that could never be farther from the truth. For the program to be effective, it must be stimulating to the targeted audience
Hi Steve,
With marginal students I try to provide as much support as I can as the instructor. I also try to hook them up with the Student Services office to get tutoring help or any other help they might need.
They have to meet the minimum requirements of my course or they don't pass. I talk with them individually and explore ways that they can meet these requirements. Generally together we can identify ways that they can be successful in the course if they will put forth the effort. They appreciate my concern for their success and really try to complete all that is required.
Gary
I teach an introductory course shared by students in different disciplines where the course is of differing importance to each student. Some students are engaged while others are, well it's not always so clear. Ages vary plus many have jobs in addition to often dreadful personal issues that you learn about when their homework is not done.
Some of the students probably would not have an opportunity to study anywhere else, don't have personal transportation, medical insurance or even cell phones yet are putting themselves in deep debt to attend classes. I have a reluctance to fail any student who makes the effort to better their lives.
I have never had a student I would call a difficult personality. In fact, they mostly appear to be grateful to be in class. Some are so shy that just trying to get them to talk is impossible. I try to be selective in which students I push and which ones I simply encourage to feel that they are safely passing the course. How demanding do you suggest in being with students who are marginal?
