How to recognize when you are "helping" and when you are "coddling"
I struggle with this point quite often. I always love working one-on-one with students after class. I enjoy getting to know the students and discovering where "voids" in their knowledge and understanding are so we can fill them in. There have been a few times where I struggle with the delicate situation of where I feel like I am spoon-feeding the student. Is this really helpful to them? It is my job to faciliate the learning of the material, but the student also has a responsibility to learn as well. My main question is, when is too much help- no longer help?
N. Dianne,
You make a very good point about maintaining the standards of our course and not enabling our students. They are adults and have chosen to enroll in college to receive an education. They need to assume responsibility for their success and put forth the effort needed to be successful. You make a good point about understanding that events do occur in the lives of students that merit consideration in relation to assignments and projects. At times this can be a real challenge because you want to give the students the support they need but not be taken in by excuses.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is definitely a difficult point. The caregiver portion of our personalities encourages us to coddle the students. However, this NEVER serves the students well, in the long run. I believe that when I make my expectations very clear on Day One of the class and encourage questions with regard to my policies, the students generally don't ask for extensions and exceptions to the rules. But, nothing's perfect...you still need to detect who needs one on one help and be available to provide it.
Phyllis,
This is a good strategy for keeping the entire class moving forward. You are supporting those students that may need a little more time grasping the concepts or completing the projects but you are not derailing the class in terms of progress. This is a balance all of us educators strive to find.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think that it is important when I feel that some of the class is straggling that I set up short goals and have them turn in work so I know they are keeping up. If there is a problem or a question I ask the class the answer and if it is a difficult concept how they taught themselves the concept. I may ask helpful questions, but the student has to find the answer on their own. If I just told them the answer they wouldn't remember it.
Katherine,
When they are in their career field and don't meet deadlines they are not going to keep their jobs long. We need to set and maintain the standards that are required for career success. By doing so we are doing a service to our students as their transition to employment will be much easier.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I collect the homework assignments for a team taught course and have been very strict on due dates. They must turn in their assignments even it they are absent. This is easy with technology these days. The students have been informed numerous times concerning this policy and are reminded with each assignment. It still amazes me that students have a surprised look on their face when I hand back the assignment with percentages off for being late. I hope this teaches them independence but sometimes I just don't know what else to do without being more of a coddler.
Jeanne,
Good point. In situations I look for a pattern. Any student can have something come up and cause their assignment to be late. I stop taking excuses as well as the assignments when I see a documented pattern of being late. The reason I use the word documented is that I want to be able to show the student when they were late and how often when they question why they receive a certain grade. Also, I reinforce to them that I am educating them for a future career and when they are in the real world employers don't give a lot of "do overs" or late work completions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I find this to be an issue with reminding certain students to turn in late assignments. Is that coddling or is that helping? I typically see it as helping, yet at some point, I stop reminding.
Christine,
This is a challenge for many of us. We want to help but do not want to enable them. I extend help as I see it needed and then observe what the student does with that help. It doesn't take long before I can tell what students need it and what ones are just lazy. It is at this time I concentrate on my students that really need my help to keep them moving forward.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
This is a topic I struggle with daily. I sometimes have a difficult time picking out the students who really need the assistance versus those who are lazy. The ones who need the most assistance sometimes wait until the last minute to ask for help, then I feel like I am scrambling to assist them in a short amount of time. I try to give the students small projects throughout the term, so the workload isn't as great at the end.
Sherry,
I think you have found a very good balance between these two. They are adults and they have chosen to come to school. They need to assume responsibility for their future. We instructors can provide support and encouragement to support their efforts but not do the work for them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I often have struggled with this issue as well but I had to realize that stepping back teaches the students independence. I make my students aware up front what my expectations are and that I will not be babysitting then when it comes to turning in assignments. However, I make myself available to all students if they need assistance and I assess all situations.
Andrea,
You make a very good point about not letting the problem overcome the learning. It is easy to let these influences creep into the class and before long more time is spent listening to student issues than focusing on learning. So setting the stage and making sure to retain control of the learning environment are must for instructors.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree with the idea of acknowledging the problem, but yes, making sure that you again aren't allowing the issue to take over learning and classroom time.
I sometimes feel like I need to address situations differently with different personalities. This tends to come from getting to know each student better- through time. I also feel I struggle at times wondering if I am coddling or not. I attempt to be a little more firm from the start, and hope to establish good habits off the bat.
Andrea Millette
Ed,
I think this is a great way to show the students you acknowledge their challenges but you will not let them focus on them to the point they impede their career progress. The time limit idea helps to put the problems into a box and then move on with learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In regard to being a resource rather than an enabler: I've seen success in using the struggles of the students to act as a teaching tool for independence.
This often takes the form of asking the student to identify their problem which may mean peeling through levels of frustration to find the actual root, asking them to walk through what they have already tried, and then, even if you have the solution, asking them which resources they've utilized to isolate the bug and how long they are willing to spend on correcting this one issue.
Though this may add to the frustration initially, setting a time limit for the student to allow themselves to focus on the issue seems to limit the problem's power over them, and, if they are able to find the solution on their own in that short time allotment, they will have their answer with a strategy for solving future issues.
Enjoyed the reply from Gladys. Learning does involve making mistakes and encountering some failures. The hard part is to show students how they can learn from these experiences and not become frustrated or discouraged.
Rebecca,
Great question that is tough to answer because it all depends on your read of each student's situation. Some students benefit from the intense support they receive and then can move forward in the course. Others, just drop off their effort because they know you will pick up the slack for them. I try to make sure I am a resource to them but not an enabler. I want to see their effort and intensity for success is all that they do and I will try my best to facilitate them in the process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
From my experience it is necessary to make sure that the student understand that you are there to facilitate learning. It is very important to check that the student is able to complete the exercises an his/her own. You are there if they stumble, but you are not there to keep them from tripping. If the student fails in the assignment you are there to pick him/her up and review, looking for the student's own evaluation of what went wrong.
