I have found that my senior (aged 60+) students need to feel accepted by their younger(aged 20-25)classmates in order to keep their confidence in their learning abilities. For example, I have Baby Boomer generation students who often share their experiences in a classroom in majority of Generation Y students. The Baby Boomers sometimes have a difficult time accepting and are even judgemental of the opinions of the younger students. As the an Generation X instructor, I often bridge the gap and can validate viewpoints or opinions between both generations my experiences of having Baby Boomer parents and a Generation Y son.
Feeling accepted is something every student or person needs both in school and on the job. Our class sizes are 12 to 15 students and we break them up in teams of 3 or four. We try to mix age groups and mix experience levels so the ones with less experience have a mentor to go to. This also help in completion times being very close giving them more confidence in the the project they are doing.
If the student feels accepted within his or her group of peers they are more likely to be successful. This is not true for all students of course. I have experienced a few students who don't seem to care that they are or are not accepted within their class group. They have the mindset of being there to learn the skills and they have the confidence in themselves alone to reach the goals they have set forth.
It is important for students to feel accepted in class because they will feel secure and comfortable. Which in turn contributes to their success because they will want to come to class and learn.
If students feel accepted they feel comfortable. If they feel comfortable they will retain more information. They will have better attendance and will feel they can succeed. I try to look every student in the eyeband shake teir hand at the start of every class so they feel like I respect them.
Hi Sarah,
You make a good point about how instructors need to bring everyone into the class by making them comfortable and included.
Gary
If they don't feel accepted, it's difficult for them to feel comfortable. They will have hard time participating, because they won't feel like they have anything valuable to share. I thought it was very interesting in Module 1 when they discussed how older students might have, for example, been smal business owners. They might not have been in the classroom for awhile, or have the same computer skills as the younger ones in the class, but they still have something to contribute to the class. However, they won't feel confortable comtributing until they feel that they are accepted even though they might be older than the average student.
Students who feel accepted will open their minds to new material and ideas. Students who do not feel accepted are more likely to withdraw from discussions and rebel against assignments.
I have found that some students who are reluctant to share an answer or idea with the entire class are more willing and comfortable to share in a small group. Students can also feel more accepted and build confidence in a small group. The ultimate goal is to share with the whole class, but the small group is a good place to start.
Hi Thomas,
Well said and so important. The need for acceptance, support and encouragement is valuable to students as they move through their educational journey. If they know someone cares about their success their personal motivation increases.
Gary
If the students perceive any type of rejection, for lack of a better term, they will begin to shy away as well as possibly encourage other students into their negativity. This can lead to disruptions and other behavioral problems within the class/lab environment. Further, with the acceptance, you begin the process of building an intimate rapport with the student that shows them no matter what they have done in the past, no matter what type of learning issues might be present, they can succeed in this field.
Hi Regina,
I break my class up into small groups (3-4 students) and assign each group a topic to discuss in their group and then report out. I rotate within the group who reports out. So every person in the group gives a report. After doing this a few times class members start to get comfortable and start to contribute to the general class discussion. When I have students that don't contribute I will call on them for their thoughts and they do a good job of sharing them. I just keep encouraging them every chance I get and as the class progresses so do they in the contributions they make.
Gary
what can you do to get students involued in clas discussions?
Hi Randy,
What are some strategies you use to help your students get comfortable in your learning environment?
Thanks in advance for your input on this.
Gary
this will make them feel comfortable in the learning enviorment
Acceptance is very important to students. It helps them to feel as part of a whole. Students feel their ideas should be validated by their group. This in turn helps them to be successful.
If they don't feel accepted, why would they want to be there? Unlike high school, for the most part, the student is paying for this experience. Everyone wants to feel accepted in life. Many students come from a high school setting where they were not particularly accepted and are hoping that the adult experience will be more accommodating to them. I will do everything within my ability to make sure my students always feel accepted and enjoy the experience of the education that I am trying to provide for them.
When a student feels accepted, they will open up in class. That student will answer questions, ask questions, engage with others, argue respectfully, and do their work. That student also feels attached to class, the teacher, and tends to come more often.
I've had many students in my teaching career with low self confidence and it amazes me how much more confident they feel and really are able to engage more in class discussion towards the end.
Thank you, Dr. Meers. My instructional approaches have developed over many years, classes, students, and lots of student critiques personally requested. I really am who I am as an instructor today because of my students and the passion I have for my craft and the industry in which I excel.
