I currently have a student that is older, and didn't do well in school growing up. She has had a rough life and has a few insecurities. What I've seen in her though, is a lot more effort and committment. With each goal she acheives, she becomes more and more secure. It has been very nice to watch her bloom!
One of my students used positive self talk to overcome her fears. she would write on her assignment, test papaer or quiz "I am getting an A on this" and most times she did.
Another way to decrease self doubt is to provide the student with activities that they can suceed at, ths doesn't mean spoon feeding but it does mean not putting things on to the test that you or the reading assignment did not cover.
Lorraine you bring forward a great point that is key to the self-doubt of your students. Showing them respect and dignity and treating all students the same is a key element to your students feeling comfortable in your classroom. Higher Education today is becoming even more of a melting pot and not only with different and diverse backgrounds but different value systems and understandings due to age differences. The sooner you can get your students to feel comfortable with each other and with you as their guide, mentor and coach; the sooner their self-doubt will lesson and eventually have no impact on their ability to focus on the learning objectives.
Regards,
James Jackson
many of my students are adults who, because of situations beyond their control (plant closings, injury or illness etc), have found themselves re-enrolled in school at 30, 40, 50, etc. they feel "surrounded" by "kids" who they don't feel like they can relate to. i try to encourage the older students to work from their experience to understand new material i am presenting, and ask for their "real world" take on different issues, particularly in areas where i know they have experience. i try to also let the "kids" know that they are in college now, and as their instructor, i am there to guide them, but it is not high school anymore and they will be expected to finish assignments and turn them in on time. as always, i try to treat all students (and all humans) with respect and dignity.
Michael, your post really resonated with me and my own experiences. I too have cried at many graduation ceremonies and I feel any instructor that has not had this experience is missing out on the real purpose of teaching and learning. I am not sure I have ever encountered an educator that was involved for the money, there are many professions where the financial rewards are much greater versus a career in education. The sensation of accomplishment when watching a student receive their diploma and the excitement of hearing of their accomplishments after graduation is with more to a true educator than any level of monetary gain.
Regards,
James Jackson
To sit and instruct individuals from different bakgrounds and to have them work as a team and to overcome diversity is the greatest gift I know. To see how they began and then to see the finished product when they graduate is both fulfilling and glorious. I have cried at a few graduations and still will as long as I am still teaching
I am a CDL truck driver instructor, and I too frequently see the scared looks of my students on day one, when they are introduced to those 'BIG' trucks. They want to drive 'em, else they would not be in class. But the fear of failure, the fear of inadequacy, or the thought that they may not be able to perform up to the task (in front of fellow students) freezes up the mind and paralyzes the hands. Once the student is calmed and reassured that it is merely a series of simple steps to get from 'here-to-there', skills that are not magical or unobtainable, then the learning starts! I remind my charges that I too was in their shoes, and was not always a Jedi Master of Truck Driving!
I like to try to ask questions of my student about previous experiences that may be pertinent to the tasks at hand. Many times similar disciplines will allow the student to realize that the new skill he is trying to obtain is really not all that different from past experiences. Also, this gives the student a comfortable buffer to talk about what they already know.
When you describe that masterful execution of a complex skill is really only deliberate use of a series of simple skills put to practical use, the intimidation of the student drops away. The tool could be a musical instrument, a saw, a truck, or any of a thousand items, but the mastery is in the operator, not the tool.
It is the knowledge that empowers. The technical skills are easy. Training the mind to overcome fear is more difficult.
I enjoy helping an adult student realize that "they" can do something they thought was in possible. Just like younger students all it takes is for the instructor to believe in them. The joy in their eyes when they accomplish something they thought they could never do is worth the road to get there.
Mona, this is a fantastic example of converting self-doubt into an achievement of desired learning outcomes. I find it fascinating to explore the difference between some types of learning outcomes that require both left and right brain development. Cutting a radish into a rose would seem impossible to me from an artistic perspective but if provided the proper breakdown into workable steps and a follow the directions type of approach, I can then begin to see how even I could accomplish such task. How much artistic skill set do you feel is required to be a successful culinary specialist? Can someone who is left brain dominate be s top level chief?
Thanks for any information you can share.
Regards,
James Jackson
The greatest joy in teaching in a skill-based classroom is to watch not just one, but a roomful of students accomplish something that seemed completely unattainable. I teach culinary arts and the day that I demonstrate carving a radish into a flower the students immediately tense up and begin the "I can't" chants. Once the lesson begins and is broken down into nothing more than a series of knife cuts, which is within their skill set, their surprise and pride fill the room with light. Not only are they enriched with the ability to crave a radish-rose; they grow from the experience and open up to other challenges.
It's common for students to have self doubt when stepping into unfamiliar areas to learn new skills. One student that stands out in my mind is a gentleman who was in an accident a couple of years prior to school. The doctors had said he would never walk again and would have brain damage. He did walk again. Although he struggled in his technical skill, he overcame his fear and challenge with coordination. I don't think there was a dry eye in the building the day he graduated.
Tammy, as I was reading through your post I could not help but think back to a book I read earlier this year, A Chance to Make History by Wendy Kopp. The book was written to discuss the issues surrounding helping those from low-income communities to be successful in their educational goals and more importantly in life. The book also brings forward another topic that I feel is critical in the role we play as educators and to the point you have brought forward in your post, servant leadership. As members of the faculty at our respective institutions we are leaders and need to lead by example but we are also servants and serve the needs of our students. Student success is more about what we can do as teachers to be innovative and have an intelligent heart as Lou Tice from The Pacific Institute would say.
Thanks for sharing this story and I hope that as others read it they will reflect on the role they are playing with the success of their students.
Thanks for sharing Richard. There are several concepts your story has to share. Obviously the focus for the discussion is how to work with self-doubt in your students. Another important concept here is setting the stage early and I like your comment about how reality took place as a result of the student not being successful on each exam. I think this is a teachable moment to help students realize that the term success is very relative. I would challenge that not getting a high score on an exam is a sign of not being successful. Since the student went on to graduate top in her class, could it be that the rigor of the exams motivated her to work harder and thus move towards a successful end to her academic career? I would say this is a very successful result of the assessment process within the curriculum. This could be a great discussion to have early on for future students in the course and to have the self-doubt discussion. You could discuss how the exams are not intended to be passed at 100% but rather measure what each student will need to have as their focus moving forward to do well in the course and in the program. It is OK to have some level of self-doubt but turn this into motivation to work harder and discover the answers to mistakes on exams and turn a poor exam score into a successful event because the student now knows what they need to study to be successful in the final course.
Great topic and it is all about how we as faculty can take those teachable moments and turn them into successful events in a student's academic career.
Students in the program of Respiratory Therapy begin with goals of complete success with each exam. This becomes reality when many exams are not successful. One student in perticular became so discouraged she wanted to quit the program. However with encouragement from her peers, family, and instructors she gained courage to weather each set back and graduated top of her class.
I have had many students who have a great deal of self-doubt on their shoulders. I love to help these students find themselves and persevere. I had one particular student who always thought they would never accomplish the task at hand because of a language barrier. I always made myself available to this student and kept reinforcing their ability to overcome the obstacle and do as well as anyone in the class. This student does well in all their classes and continues to thank me to this day for always encouraging them.
Michael you are so correct. Great faculty members really separate themselves from the pack of just ordinary instructors when they can identify the unique needs of different students. Someone who has been away from formal education for a long period of time is going to require a different set of techniques to motivate and build their self-confidence. Those instructors that feel such things are not their responsibility have really lost what it means to be a caring and understanding instructor. No one is saying take it easy on this group of student. We are saying however to understand their unique needs and meet those needs to allow the student to grow into their new role as a student.
Thanks and kind regards,
James Jackson
Ruth,
I agree with what you are saying. Many times students who have not been in class for a long time (several years) do have a lot of self-doubt. There is no doubt that positive reinforcement will help these individuals succeed in their new career field.
As I usually have the students who are new to school, some for the first time in many years, they usually have alot of self-doubt. By the use of positive reinforcement and structured classes so they know where they are and exactly what they need to do I have seen many blossom into fantastic students with alot of self esteem and self motivation. Some time they just need to step back and see what they have accomplished through the eyes of someone else. There is a fine line between giving them good feedback and telling them exactly how to do things. At some point they need to recognize in themselves what they can do and congratulate themselves.
One particular student kept telling me she should quit she was too stupid and everyone told her she would fail, I worked with her one step at a time not looking at the whole semester and holding her there with baby steps and as we reached the end and she realized she had done it she was so proud and so was I. She earned a B but said next time I am earning an A. She graduated last sememster and she was so proud.
Thank you Mark. You provided some great comments and insight in your forum discussions.
Good luck to you.
I wanted to thank you again for all your help. Your classes and material made a big difference in class.Thank you
