I teach Pharacology and a lot of my students have past experience that they can bring with them. Knowing why they enrolled in the program helps me to plan and involve them in discussions and labs.
First you need to understand each students desires and goals otherwise you are trally only teaching a generic course. Every student has different learning levels and you want to be able to guide each student to the next higher level of learning upon completing your course. Some students my not need as much one on one time as others.
Students submit an introduction for their first project. This introduction is posted on a disucssion board where other students in the class can comment and/or exchange ideas.
The information they post includes their reasons for coming back to school. This is very helpful because it provides me with valuable information about their motivations, obstacles, and (because they are writing a paper) writing skills.
Hi Felicia,
Good way to start the class off. You are getting a picture of what brought them to enroll. I am curious--what are the most common reasons given for enrolling in cosmetology?
Thanks.
Gary
I always start the first day of class off by asking why they chose Cosmetology. If your understand the reasons why then you can understand the intention and each student can will be able to understand the each other and they will try leaning on those individuals more and keep one another motivated.
As I stated earlier, I treat my classroom as if it were a business. So, if I know WHY students have enrolled in McCann, I can incorporate their majors into my lesson plan. Therefore, I keep their interest!
Hi Chrissy,
I'm not clear what you are asking with your question in terms of students taking the course just to get a job and don't like to touch people. If you can give me a little more information about what you teach and a general profile of your students then I will be able to give you some specific input.
Thanks.
Gary
what if these students just need a job,or they do not like touching people. how do you plan around that? :~)
It helps to identify what is motivating the students to be here. It also gives insight to potential learning barriers the instructor may encounter. This helps the instructor aline his/her method of instruction to address those barriers.
When I learn the reasons for my students coming back to college it affects my delivery to the extent that I choose different topics related to the day's material. If I have many adults who have been out of work I choose topics from projects that are in the surrounding vicinity that are ongoing. This motivates them to see the possibilities for employment once they graduate.
Students may enroll in a course for various reasons. The course may be a general ed requirement that acts as a gateway to their program and interests; the course may be part of their interests and a building block to their career. In either case, knowing student motivation allows me to tailor the material with an emphasis on the student's practical goal and targeted outcome. Students who are enrolled because of general interest may arrive with greater intrinsic motivation to master the material but one cannot ride this wave for too long. Every student requires continual motivation and buy-in if the course is to be successful. Intercrossing domains and finding new ways to introduce and master topics, application of affective domain and experiential activities, and some modicum of student choice and preference within the framework of course goals and desired outcome can greatly enhance students's continual engagement and successful completion of the course.
It certainly would be nice to have that information. It helps to know where their work background is from and if they have traditional college education. This will allow me to know where they extra information and challenge them.
It's always to important to know the why's to better meet the needs of all students. It's important to know about age diversity, cultural diversity and disabilities, you can better plan. Also, knowing why gives you a better understanding of where they are coming from and what they are hoping to attain.
This will help me with knowing just how motivated my students are. If they are only taking this class because its a requirement, I know that they are not really motivated to learn about the class. However, if they choose to take the class then I know that they will want to learn and will make teaching them easier.
Will give you an insight to how motivated they are or by what they are motivated.
Knowing why my students have enrolled, helps me to better understand my students' needs and helps me to motivate my students to success.
Hello,
I have two reasons to enroll:
a) I study teaching in another country, and methods of teaching (more precisely foundations) where different. I find it interesting how in society like american, where creating pressure on the student is not expectable study process may give a lot of results.
b) I need a few learning credits :)
As discussed in this chapter, each student has unique needs, goals, and desires. Understanding why a student is sitting in your classroom will better help you understand what motivates that student.
Understanding what motivates your students is crucial to student success. Developing lesson plans to meet these needs will better show students how they can be successful in their field. It is the teachers responsiblity to understand how they can help their students become successful by meeting these needs and desires.
I think it's very important to know why students enrolled in our program. This information helps guide me in what areas I emphasize in the class. It enhances my ability to communicate with the students, as I make sure to discuss their main concerns. The questions I can generate as a result of this knowledge can also help facilitate discussions among the students in the class.
I can change my instruction to pin point their needs and wants. This will develop trust through shared experiences.
