Too hard?
I have had people, including my wife who is also an educator, tell me that I expect too much from my students.
How do you tell when you are not only challenging them but asking too much of them?
I was once given some useful advice - grade students on their improvements, not their achievements.
That said, I still do believe in standards, but putting some focus (not all focus) on student improvement allows me to create high standards and great challenges without "expecting" everyone to achieve the same level.
For my field, English, this approach may be more applicable, although I can imagine similar approaches in other fields. I have a baseline which I work not to compromise. On the other hand, I push every student to improve, even if they exceed my baseline from day one. I need this approach to accomodate the variety of skill-levels I encounter.
Hi George,
Good point about students that ask hard questions and raise issues. As an expert in the field an instructor should be able to respond to such questions immediately and if the answer isn't known right then find the answer by the next class meeting. These types of challenges help us to grow in our own knowledge base which increases our skills as an educator. It is a win win for everyone.
Gary
I feel as though a challenge for the student is a good thing. Work with that student to help them to understand the material. I think the learning process should be a challenge, if the student already knew the material and was proficient at the given task, then they wouldn't be in school to learn it.
I have found that holding the students to high expectations helps to give them the confidence and sense of achievement they crave in a professional setting. They are aiming for a goal that sometimes seems unattainable, but the reward is very sweet when they accomplish another step towards their dream. I always prefer to challenge students, rather than pander to mediocrity, because in doing so they will have climbed higher on the ladder.
Hi Jayson,
You make a good point about course standards. I believe we have to reflect the standards of our field because to do less is cheat the students. They want to be successful in their field and to be so they need all the education they can get. Granted, not all of them will be world famous chefs but they will earn a very good living doing successfully what they want to do.
Gary
The perennial question... I try to make it a point to constantly evaluate my materials and delivery, and the standards to which I hold myself and my students. I dont have expectations of them that are unrealistic in the face of their chosen path, but there is a minimum requirement for each graded item.
Not everyone can cook like Thomas Keller or Daniel Boulud, but did they at least learn to saute properly?
my wife and I are both nurses. In our field (I feel) there is no to high. Challenge is good, if that level is required to prepare the studient to be a trained health care professional
Hi John,
The key is to match your expectations with the standards of the field in which they are preparing to enter. By matching your expectations to these standards you will be fulfilling your mission as an educator. Internal discussions with yourself about what your expectations are and why you set them at the level you do will help you to determine if you need to reset your expectations or leave them where they are.
Gary
This is a great question and also something that I struggle with every term. I know that students can only give 100% and when that is below a "standard," what should you do? Are they passable students? Do you lower your stadard to accomodate students who try their best and come up short?
I think it is a balancing act because if many good students aren't passing, perhaps you are being unrealistic and can actually hurt the motivation of the students. Firm but caring.
