Smile :) in the midst of trouble! My most challenging student are those who feel like the know everthything and there is no more room for more knoowledge. They "TRY" to direct this superior attitude towards myself and other students. Constantly disruptive ,showing up to class late thinking that they are not missing anything. So sad these are when they find out that they missed a pop quiz or even vital information. I have an extensive background in many different areas in healthcare. So missing anything that is being offered in class, will hurt.
Although it seems that challenging students can be easy to spot, this may not always be the case. Each student is a unique individual that has a different perspective. That makes each student challenging. I have found that the listening approach work best to know each student to devise startegies to assist in learning opportunities for the students in my class. I have taught night classes for 10 years, taking at least one class each term to have open class discussions regarding a topic covered provides me with insight to each student. To keep the atmosphere casual we have a class dinner together. I have learned how to better communicate with each student in my class by listening to them fist.
I have found my most challenging students to be ones who are a bit older. From what I have seen, many seem to feel that they know more than the younger students, ( I guess they feel that age brings wisdom), and also that they have more personal responsibilities, so exceptions should be made for them. The strategies I have tried to incorporate include: Making them group leaders and teaming them with newer students. This tactic helps to reinforce the need for proper conduct since others are looking to them for guidance.
My most challenging students are the ones who refuse to be coached. So far I have not found something that has proven to be effective. I have listened to their "racket" and have responded that perhapse in the "quiet" they will be able to review what we have discussed as see some value and we can revisit the issue at a later date. The student is very disruptive, agressive and combative with the other students. Once any attention is brought to the student that perhaps their behavior needs to be addressed, their behavior then becomes agressive with me as well. There is absolutely no space for humility.
I have two challenging sets of students. I have unprepared students as well as inattentive students. Those that are unprepared I have recently at the students request, started emailing them week by week what homework is due each day, what books to bring, and quiz schedule for the week. The students have improved as to bringing the correct material to class so that lecture goes more smoothly, an examplebeing they can look at any pictures in books I find helpful instead of squinting to see my book at the front of the class. There also seems to be an increase in the amount of ontime assignments.
Those students that are innattentive are harder for me to manage. I have found it tends to be the younger students as suggested. I have tried a few of the presented stratagies such as standing near them during lecture, and assigning group work. Sometimes this doesn't work becuase they just don't participate in the activity. Any other suggestions? They are not so disruptive that I feel I need to speak to them other than to encourage extra study time out of class with me so their attention is focused.
I have had older students who are very set in their ways, try to take over the class and disturb my teaching. They want to question everything and determine when assignments should be submitted. I find that those students are intimated by a younger instructor. I have learned to make the syllabus more defined and clear of their expectations. I've also learned to be more consistent and more prepared when coming to class. Most students want the stern upper hand and structure.
I find the challanging students for my program are those who work long hours! We're an accelerated medical program and very intense. Some of my students work 40 hours in addition to going to school. THat makes time balance very difficult and sometimes becomes a challange for the student. Work isn't being done in a timely manner, which results in lower grades, which results in bad attitudes!
I talk to them about how hard it was for me going to school full-time as well as working full-time. I aslo share that I was a single mom. I show compassion and show them that I understanding
where they are coming from. I boost positive comments to them, instead of negative comments.
Hi Glenn,
Thank you for digging deep! Sometimes as instructors we need to dig so that we can find out what is truly going on with our students. We can save/help a lot of our students if we know their issues.
Patricia Scales
It was interesting reading all of the profiles of the types of challenging students. Several of my students came to mind as I was reading. My greatest compassion lies with the student who is late on their assignments. I usually find there is a deeper reason beyond just testing the limits. I usually try and help these students identify these inhibiters, see if there are ways they can work around them, and encourage them by letting them know that they really can be successful. I have had some noticeable success.
Often the most challenging students are those who don't believe in themselves. We should emphasize personal growth when working with adult students. While younger students are encouraged to do well on standardized tests and accustomed to being compared to their peers in this way, adult learners are challenging themselves.
Consider making personal growth in ability and skills part of the actual grade. For example we could compare the first speech to the last one given when grading to determine how they are personally improving. It helps build confidence and give tangible areas for improvement. School is hard enough…we should point out the positives.
I have found the most challenging students to be the know it alls. They can be very disruptive and many times they give the wrong answer or an example that applies to their setting but not the classroom. I try to use their example as a learning tool or another example of how things happen in the real world but even still, the constant disruption tends to irritate the rest of the class.
Hi Richard,
Nicely stated! Continue to do what you are doing with this students and do not cut this student any slack. This student has to learn that there is certainly a time to take things seriously.
Patricia Scales
In every class, there are a mix of those who do not pay attention, those who have to be center stage, and those who genuinely want to learn. I have found that the challenging students are the ones who can shift the focus of the class, and lower the learning environment. While the sanctions that are listed in this course to deal with them tend to work most of the time, there are those students who cannot be reached by conventional reasoning and you need to get creative. One student I have in my class right now is consistantly skirting the fail line, and does so with pride. The method I have found to deal with this person is to make sure and assign work that has a value attatched to it so that he can see that even though he may not want to learn, he will have to put forth an extra effort to pass the class. It is working so far, but this person makes every day challenging.
Richard
I have a broad range of challenging students and try to deal with them allin the same manner. When i have a class for the first time I introduce myself and go ove r the syllabus . When i am done witht that i go over my own class room expectations. I am very blunt and to the point with my students and let them know fromthe get go that if they want to be treated like an adult then act like one, and if not there is the door to the class. Ihave a lot of class fun and dont have many issues with my students. I stay consistant with them all.
The most challenging students I have encountered have been the ones who give up quickly and the ones that are misguided about their career choice and just "passed along". The first type I was able to overcome by giving her encouragement and getting her to meet with me outside of class to help on an individual basis. she was very appreciateive that I was concerned enough the help her and that I could see her potential and acknowledge it. The second type has been more difficult because there are many factors that have played a role that were not of my control. For example, previous instructors who really did not care about whether the student was learning anything and being able to apply what was being taught and then the fact that this student relied on others to do her work for her, as if she just needed help when in fact she really just didn't know how to do the work. In this instance it was necessary to get others involved such as career services and the director of education, to create a "plan" that would help this student as much as possible. However, since the student is in her last term and ready to graduate, it will be a difficult task,to say the least.
I had a problem engaing some students in being prepared for the class work involving case senarios. I made sure every student cmae to the board, presented thier finding and compared the findings with the rest of the class. One student would not engage. When we finished, we had some better answers than the books answer key.
It just showed her that the wrong answers could be a better learning experience than the correct answers. She engaged in the proccess and was less critical of other peoples answers. CAse day is now at least 1 day a week.
Hi Allen,
Some students are fine just with settling. We have to do as you are doing and try to get them to see that giving their best at all times is important.
Patricia Scales
Hi Robert,
Absolutely! The word will spread and students will see that you are there for them.
Patricia Scales
My most challenging students are the ones that do not complete assignments on time or hand in incomplete work because they know they can "afford it" in regards to their grade. It shows me a lack of ambition. I try to turn this type of behavior around by reminding them about the competiveness of their chosen field and explain how perspective employers demand and hire only the best!
