Hi Kimberly,
Awesome! Even adult learners need rule. Structure is a win-win stituation for both the student and the instructor.
Patricia Scales
I must say these are my most challenging students. To be totally honest, I had one student that made me seriously reconsider teaching. For me the key was showing compassion while sticking to my guns and making my expectations clear. This particular student ended up dropping my class but took it the following term. We started with a clean slate and didn't have any issues the second term.
I recently had a student that blamed me for her lack luster grades and her inattentiveness in class.
After thinking about it over night, I came in the next day and typed up new "Classroom Rules" in which I addressed a number of issues that I saw was contributing to her disengaging from the rest of the class.
Each of the students had to sign for the new rules and give the original back to me. An amazing thing happened. Once she had to sign for the new rules and I took away her ability to be disengaged in the class (no cell phone use, no tablets, no homework, no rudeness would be tolerated, etc), she became totally engaged in the class and her grades have now increased dramatically.
All the other students have benefited from this change because they feel more like a team now and our classroom has a much better vibe.
I have had to sit down with the student that blames others for their lack of success and refocus them on themselves, that is to say, redirect the discussion that only the student is responsible for his/her own behavior/success.
I am a believer in accountability. Students who shift blame avoid being accountable in most situations.
My strategy is to privately connect with this student, encouraging them to feel safe sharing their challenges with me, assuming it is not beyond my scope of practice. Usually the student will open up and speak candidly about issues that may be going on in their lives; usually it is a fear of succeeding. If this is the case, I become their cheerleader and try to motivate them into believing in thier own resourcefullness and gifts. I strive in the end to encourge them to believe in themself and this has been a successful tool.
Hi John,
That's right! Do not lower the bar! You really get from students what you expect. Make the student rise to the bar, most will.
Patricia Scales
Pull the student off to the side and let the student know that success comes with hard work on their part. Explain to them that success does not come easy and set a bar and explain that the bar will not be lowered but in the end their hard work will give them great satisfaction when they accomplish the task at hand.
I am a great listener, but I also am very clear in the expectations of the course. I am quite strict about policy especially at the beginning of the semester so they see that I am serious (its easier to get easier than to get harder throughout the semester). I will however listen and work with students who have legitimate external pressures.
And if I give an exception to one, I generally offer it to the rest so there is no appearance of favoritism. But those opportunities are limited and I make that very clear to the class in the beginning.
This seems like a great idea, it does hold them accountable and builds self confidence. Realizing that they can be successful in the classroom could translate into even greater things in their career.
I ask students to write down 3 ways they can improve in the class. This usually requires some self reflection and helps reduce the blaming others behavior.
I've asked them to give me examples of how they feel some one else is to blame. How could they make it better or worse by changing what has happened.
I have found that students who have issues in their personal lives tend to shift blame more readily. Now this may be my limited time as an instructor or the socioeconomic group of students I work with. But I have found if I sit down with them one on one and have them explain to me why they feel others are to blame they soon discover ultimately the blame rest with them.
Focusing the attention back on the student as an adult learner. ask questions and remind them they are responsible for their education.
I am one who sets the expectations clearly from the first day. I let my students know it is their responsibility to get missing assignments, that it is their responsibility to show up for class on time, and to be an adult. That when they get into the world after college there are no excuses, and if their performance does not meet the expectations of their employer then they will not have a job. It is simple.
As instructors we must make sure that we are not to be blamed, because some students do seek to blame the instructor for them not grasping a concept even though the instructor has tried a variety of methods to convey the concept. Make sure our instructions are clear, our lecture is well organized, and we are doing all that we can do to convey our content. A always give them scenarios and ask them questions around the scenarios in order to restructure their thinking and get them to own some responsibility.
I am in my first year of teaching so I am still learning the best method of dealing with a student who holds the world responsible for his/her success. I have referred such students to their student handbook and to the course syllabus when they get into a mode I didn't do well because I didn't know the "rules". When I am thrown the excuse "life gets in the way" I will give real life examples on how this pattern will affect their careers and ask how this pattern can be corrected before they enter the workforce.
Accountability is one of the hardest things an individual can learn. It is easier to make excuses as to why or what caused the issue. I try to respond to students by asking questions and letting them decide if they could have prevented the issue. This put the ball back in their court so to speak.
On the first day of class, the students fill out a questionaire about why they came to school/what their motivation was for coming. When they have dry spells, lack of motivation, and start playing the blame game; I pull the questionaire from their file and remind them why they came to school. Also explaining to them, to take responsiblity for their actions regardless of someone elses action. This action puts the focus back on what's important.
It's interesting and actually quite surprising to realize that the problem of blaming others is so widespread among adult learners. I’ve recently moved from clinical practice to academia, so have not had a lot of experience in the classroom or in dealing with the blame game. I have to confess that I have little tolerance for this behavior, it just annoys the fire out of me. However, I know that allowing this to show to the students is not appropriate (we instructors have to be role models, and the epitome of professionalism, etc. etc…….)
It has been helpful to read the comments in this forum, and to identify techniques that I can use in order to re-focus the student to taking ownership and responsibility, while maintaining my own professional demeanor! I’m in two minds about constantly reminding students of due dates and deadlines – one contributor said that doing this makes her feel like she’s being their mother, and I agree with that comment, and that it’s inappropriate for adult learners to have to be mothered. I also think that doing this is a way of enabling students who don’t want to take responsibility, while at the same time irritating the students who DO take responsibility for their learning.
I don't have enough experience in the classroom to have come up with strategies of my own yet, but am grateful to be able to take advantage of others' experience - thank you!
I welcome students to come and speak to me about problems, but when I see a lot of finger-pointing happening, I cut them off and refocus the conversation, continuously putting the emphasis back on them and how they plan to move forward. A pointed question such as, "What are you going to do about it?" puts the conversation onto a more constructive path. This is a more subtle cue for students to be more accountable, and it isn't always effective on it's own. Sometimes there needs to be a more frank discussion about accountability.
