Older student respect.
How do you handle when you student is older than the instructor and feels he has more life experience and more career training experience than the instructor?
I listen to the students comments and offer appreciation for their input. I then let them know the experiences I have had as a nurse for 27 years and instill the importance of what I am teaching them and tell them to be familiar with the goals and objectives of the course. Also, the correct ways to perform skills that are expected of them to do successfully. They are reminded their final evaluation is based on those criterias.
Sometimes they do have more experience incertain aspects - I try to ask them to share their knowledge with me and the class
Antonio,
This is a good plan for classroom management. This way everyone understands not only the general rules but know why they are in place.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In addition to classroom procedures, you will need to establish general rules of classroom conduct. Students — especially the older ones — will respect rules more if they've had a hand in creating them. Many instructors develop a list of what they consider the bare essentials, and then negotiate the remaining rules with their students.
Charles,
You are the learning leader for the class and you have established yourself as such. This results in the more experienced students being willing to share their experiences but are still willing to respect you as the instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I’ve experienced the older student who has more experience or training experience than me. As long as they don’t try to diminish mine or the other students experience I allow them to share their experiences when they relate to the subject. Allowing all students to talk about their experiences gives students a chance to get closer because they may have the same life/training experiences.
Lisa,
I have experienced this type of situation before and in spite of the supports and verbal encouragement given these students still leave us. I am always sadden by this but I also know that sometimes situations like this are larger than we are so that no matter how much effort we can and did expend the student was going to leave because he or she mentally was not a point to see his or her potential success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I can recall a similar situation in one of my classes. It was a mixed group in regards to race, gender and age, and this particular lady in my class was around 50 years of age, surrounded by a bunch of youngsters that was disrespectful in general. When polling the class on the first day regarding their interests, goals, etc... she was one that stated that she was determined to finish the race, but with a little bit of apprehension. Once she received the assignments for the MOD, I believe she became nervous. When I saw the beginning of a struggle in keeping up, I reminded her of the fact that everyone won't run on the same course, but to take her time and pace herself, and complete the assignments. I even told her that I wouldn't count off for late assignments just to put her at ease. I thought that this would be a comfort to her, but by the next week, she had dropped not only my class, but the entire program.
I felt so bad for her...I was showing her respect for her choice to return to school, and I was willing to work with her.
Lisa T
Kay,
Good common sense information for instructors to remember as they go about their work of sharing information with students. Being professional helps you to earn the respect of your students each time the class meets.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Tracy,
This is such a great story. Thanks for sharing it with us. You earned the respect of this student through your expertise, knowledge and giving of respect to him. Now you have a person that values how you helped him move forward in his educational journey.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Now, I am older than most of my students, but in the past I have been younger. I always welcome their discussions and let them know that life experiences are essential for success. Allow them to talk, but not take over.
I had a student like that in the beginning of my semester. The day I walked in could read his face as he sat in the back of the room. "What could this younger, girl possibly say to me that I don't already know?" I just went about my business for the day and as I was going along, explaining theories of whatever we were discussing, I could see his face change. By the end of the semester, which was today, coincidentally, he was totally different towards me. It was really nice to see.
So, I guess my answer to that is be yourself and show what you know about the subject you are teaching!
Christopher,I have to face the same situation because half of my students are older as well. After reading Gary's advice I want to let you know that I have tried his approach and it worked, but I find it still difficult in times to discipline and correct the students who are older than I am. It is a learning process for us as well. Good luck.
Claudia
Christopher,
This can be a tough situation. I have faced such situations and the first thing I did was talk one on one with the student and sought input from him about his experiences and how they fit into the class. He like the attention and the respect I showed him. Then I asked for his cooperation on working in class. I told him I was the learning leader and that I was going to move the class through my course objectives. I would appreciate his contributions to those objectives and the course content at certain times in the course and that I would let him know when those times were. My point was to establish that I was the learning leader and that I was going to direct the instructional process but that I respected his experience and wanted to benefit from it through his sharing.
Talk with the student using this approach. If that doesn't work don't be afraid to take more direct action so that he is on allowed to disrupt the class. In one case I had to remove the student because he would not operate within the guidelines of the course and was impacting the learning of other students.
Gary
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
