I find 19 year olds and over 30 year olds do better, but in-between...
I've found that students who just came from high school have a sense of structure that is still a bit ingrained in their thinking, and therefore can do well in my classes.
I also find that students over 30 are serious about learning and getting a good career.
But the in-between years are the hardest. Many students who are 23 or 24 have been away from school for a while. They tend to have the hardest time getting back into a structured environment, and they aren't yet serious about a 'career'.
It just takes a bit more maturity than they sometimes seem to muster up!
James,
Good point. As the manager of the learning environment those types of students have to be handled quickly or they will take control of the class and this makes for a very difficult time for the other students and the instructor.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I agree with your reply, but sometimes this student will have a strong personality.He becomes bored and then he will influence others in the class to act like him. Show up late, talk in lectures etc. Now he is a problem you cannot ignore.
I find in todays world gener y students are hard to train then generation x students
Shanna,
This is always a tough decision to make but after I have done all that I can do and the student still does not become engaged I move forward with the class. I refuse to let one negative student impact the class. I keep encouraging the student but I concentrate on those students that want to learn and be successful.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I agree with you. I have noticed the same trend. The students who fall in between these ages seem to have a harder time getting motivated. I have one student in particular who fails to become motivated no matter what I try. I have offered plenty of encouragement and also tried to get her to utlize tutorials to bring up her class grade but she seems to have become complacent and refuses to change. In fact she admits to me that she does not study. What do you do for a student who you want to succeed but they don't want to succeed themselves?
Wendy,
This age group are a challenge. What I have to do is to "connect the dots" for them between effort, personal goals and future success. Once I do that through activities, learning opportunities and guest speakers I can help them move forward with knowledge acquisition. I don't get them all but I try to.
Gary
I just realized reflecting on this statement that the students who do not do well or fail the course are between the ages of 20 and 30.
So what have you found that may work to encourgage these students to do better and retain them?
Clifton,
I have had the same experiences with this age group as well. This is what makes teaching so challenging because it takes a lot of creativity to get them engaged and focused on being successful in the course. When you finally get through to them then it is a great "ah-ha" moment and makes all the effort worthwhile.
Gary
