To help students to overcome their fear of not being successful in college we should always start by getting to know our students. A student's life experiences shape their perspectives about college and their ability to succeed. We need to listen to them and get to know them.
Giving detailed and timely feedback to their work, and giving them the opportunity to improve on their work. I use an online testing tool to create homework assignments, and give students 5 chances to improve their score on the assignment, as long as their first attempt is done by the due date. The tool generates a study guide which provides the student with the chapter and page to find the answer to the question.
For my skill-based courses, we do exercises together in class, so the student feels they can accomplish the task. I also walk through a review exercise with them prior to giving them a test.
One of the best ways is to provide encouragement and acknowledgement. Remind them that college is a learning process.
One of the ways I help my students is to remind them that they are students. They are still learning material they may not be familiar with. I correlate this with a comparison of how I would do in their career field. I ask, "If I were to take the final in Foundations 3, how do you think I would do? Not well, because I have not been trained to do that." This helps the students to appreciate that the class is a learning process.
James,
Good approach. Thanks for sharing your success strategy with us. You are helping your students to see the ROI of studying and applying what they are learning. This really increases the value of their education.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I will give them both small and large ways to experience success throughout my class.
I let my students know what to expect. I find that most fear escalates due to the unknown, so I try to relieve alot of that fear by just simply letting them know what to expect. When covering topics I always go back and give life examples and then ask for other examples and experiences from the students, so that everyone has an opportunity to see how the material applies to them. It helps them to see the success in themselves and I then I will point that out to all of them. They feel good about what they have learned and about their choice to further their education.
By showing that you can relate to their fears and show them and tell them how you used those experinces in real likf in order to deal with them. As well I explain that making mistakes is a way of learning. If you the student know what you did wrong, it shows that you still learned something.
As we all have been through the college process, I believe that showing the success rate of college students in their particular field of study usually helps students overcome their fear of success.
Greetings Dr. Gary,
I've had success in motivating at-risk students by helping them become more active in the community of practice. For example, students may wish to join clubs, work with our career services department to seek part-time job opportunities, and work in groups in class and during open lab hours. In this way, the students make logical connections between what is taught in class and their experiences in the field.
Mainly, I bring examples from my own life about when I have and have not been successful. I think it helps them to know that even their instructors have setbacks and have to work to be successful. I discuss how I have been able to overcome some of my initial shortcomings and how I managed to "turn it around." In particular, since I am deaf, I tell them how I struggled in school until I learned to make adjustments: looks at people's lips and expressions, pay closer attention, be willing to ask instructors and others to repeat things, and so on.
I think it's also good to ask for others in the class to volunteer their experiences. I like to get a good mix from different age groups here to help let everyone know that we're in this together, and we all want to learn and to achieve.
Being successful, I feel, is very much a mind set. You have to see yourself doing well, being successful. Granted, this is difficult in the beginning, but doing some visualization exercises can help with htis. As they go throughout the program, we continue to try to help them see themselves doing "the job" and what that feels like and how it looks. Lots of students say that they never tried seeing them selves being in the profession or seeing themselves doing well in anything. this seems to draw them out and help them see that they can do it.
I try to be very clear about expectations and to give feeback quickly and often
Encourage them to take advantage of the time that they have available to devote to their education. If there is a system in place that allows them to spend more time invovlved in the class/lab, suggest that they take every opprortunity to do so. In addition, let them know what your schedule is in relation to those additional times they will devote to their education and if you are available and willing to be accessible.
give immediate and positive feedback, listen to their fears and acknowledge them
always stay positive! i also prohibit negative self talk. when they start calling themselves stupid and saying that they can't do the work -- i stop them immediately and ask if they would say that about another student? they obviously wouldn't and they then agree with me when i tell them they aren't allowed to say that about themselves.
another thing i do i give them in-class feedback on short assignments/activities. i am fair, honest, and encouraging. no matter how much they say they are 'stupid" and 'can't do it' -- i am able to point to what THEY JUST DID and prove that yes, yes they CAN do it.
i give them small activities in class that model the larger, more intimidating, assignments they'll have. i point out how well they did and give them "lots of points" for these mini-assignments. they usually express shock that they did so well. almost all my older students think they are too stupid to be in college (and sadly, that's a quote!)
Give positive encouragement. Point out to them how their past experiences will help them achieve in the classroom.
Providing the student with internal resources that they can utilize at anytime throughout their college expereince. Such as an open door policy with their instructor, library resources, tutoring resources, student services and even career counseling reminded and reinforcing their educational and career goals. If they are able to communicate effectively and utlize these resources they will be able to overcome some of their fears of not being successful.
Listening, then working with the student and even sharing some successful experiences. Yours or from former students.
Reassuring them that you are there for support.
You can help them by finding a way for them to have a small success and then building on that.
