Older students wanting more detail and knowledge.
I have had older students who wanted more information about a certain subject, or on a quiz answer felt that the answer was not exactly to their liking. is there a way to handle this side of the student/teacher relationship?
I agree with this, they want to know why their answer was wrong, especially if two answers are close with one being "more right". Younger students are more interested in whether or not they passed.
Gail,
Right you are so this is one of the reasons I enjoy having older students in my classes. They help me to keep on top of things so I will be able to answer their questions and respond to the "whys" they raise as we move through the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I find that older students are more driven to understand why they missed a question on a quiz. They want to know the correct answer because they feel they will need to know it in the future. Every bit of knowledge seems more important to them.
Tim,
This has been my experience as well. For the most part they get the value of being in school and how additional education can make a difference in their lives and careers. I really enjoy having them in my classes because of the life experiences they bring to and share with the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The older students I have had are more motivated to learn, have more consistent attendance, and are better at deadlines.
Royace,
So do I. What is the biggest reward you get from teaching older students?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I find teaching older students to be rewarding
I will often simply turn it into a discussion. Let those students with relevant experience express their opinion. I work with agents from various government agencies. They frequently will have differing techniques based on agency cultures. Allowing them to express their differing opinions gives them a sense of “buy in†with the class. It is also a great way to enhance the learning experience and allow them to cross pollinate best practices.
BERKLEY,
Good point and something we need to remember as we strive to remain current in our field and share our expertise and experience with our students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I find with older students they sometimes will argue a little about a subject because somewhere in there past they have learned or heard somethng that might be different from what we will teach in the course. Example: when I went to school for my trade I was taught that #2 fuel oil was 144,000 btu's per gallon. Now we teach that it is 140,000 btu's per gallon. So I have had this discussion with students. And say thing change everyday we all learn something different everyday.
Thanks for giving me another method for deealing with older students. I find teaching older students is somewhat challenging.
Peter,
In cases like this I ask the students to write down their questions or exactly what they wanted more information on. Generally this will stop them from complaining because they don't have a clear idea of what they wanted to learn more about. On the other hand when I get the written questions (I have them put them on 3X5 cards) I can group the questions and respond with the depth they wanted with out being too repetitive.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
