Frustrated or Ready-to-quit students
I've found very recently that students who are ready to quit or who are questioning the curriculum/ program sometimes just need a little bit more encouragement.
I have one student who has been ostracized from the class because he is strange... and yes, he is definitely strange (he has some very odd behavioral habits and often makes odd remarks). After a little while, this student began complaining and holding up class by criticizing the material. I got angry at first. He was so difficult. I thought about it though, and went in a few days later with a brand new approach. I made a joke between him and I. This joke is something that the whole class can laugh at, but that really is a joke between him and I. The other students laugh 'with us' not 'at him'. He doesn't feel the joke is about him, and it definitely isn't as I would never make fun of a student. It also puts attention on him that somehow unites him with the class, and it lightens the mood when things get a bit too serious.
I'm new at this, and was really surprised when this worked. I'm always watching to make sure it doesn't become something that upsets him. It hasn't, and he's turned around in attitude and in his confidence.
A few terms ago I had an adult learner call me one evening to inform me she was going to drop my class (Microsoft Office 2007). She is an elderly woman (in her late 60s or early 70s) who decided to come to school to earn a degree as a pharmacy technician. This is something she had always wanted to do. She found it very difficult to keep up with the pace of the course due to her lack of computer skills and physical ailments. I talked to her for quite a while encouraging her to stay. I told her she could do it and that I would help her to succeed. I set up time after every class session for those students who needed additional help outside of the regular class hours. This provided a way for me to work more effectively one-on-one with each student who was having difficulty keeping up in class. I was able to better serve them emotionally and give them the additional attention required to keep them abreast with the rest of the students. I found that of those who stayed encouraged each other, not only during these sessions, but also during the regular class hours. She did stay and received a good grade. She thanked me and I told her no need because she EARNED the grade she thought she would never get. She is still in school pursuing her dream. I applaud her efforts and boldness in taking the steps to make her dream a reality!!
Hi Stephen,
What kind of problems have you experienced getting other students to include problem students?
Patricia
Getting other students to include problem students can be a real problem and your approach
seems great, by getting the students to laugh
with him istead of at him they are already
including him even if they are not aware of it,
it seems like a late "ice breaker", although
I don't know if I pesonally could pull it off.
Hi David,
If only someone had paid attention to him long time ago, this simple problem could have been fixed. I am sure he will never forget what you have done for him, and I know he appreciates it. What a great story--caring means alot!
Patricia
I recently had a student that was ready to walk out the door. He does very good work but has a problem doing paperwork properly and his grades were suffering because of it. He expressed his frustration with the entire class as he was preparing to leave. I asked him to come talk in private and after about fifteen minutes or so he calmed down and we set up a meeting for the next day. We talked in private for a while and he explained that when doing paperwork, he would come accross something that he could not answer at the time and would get lost when he came back to fill it in. Apparently he had the same problem in high school and the military but no one took the time to try and come up with a solution. By the time we were done, we had found a very simple answer to help him stay on track. All of a sudden a smile came across his face and he was truly excited to get back to work.
Showing that we care and are willing to listen really does go a long way toward student retention.
Hi,
I agree with what you are saying, what I also try and do is look at the interaction with the student in such a way that the student feels you care about him. I always talk to the students in a friendly and approachable manner and I have found that at times this may be the only time in the day somebody has spoken to them in an even voice and has shown some care.
i have been able to make stars out of frustrated and ready to quit students by appluing the human touch and the ability to show I CARE.
I also try and be available before/after class so they can have a 1 on 1 with me and that really helps.
I find that often frustrated /ready to quit students are very disorganized. They don't keep trck of assignments, their binder is a mess or they do not have one, and as a result, they are often unprepared for class. Sometimes a one to one conference in which you help them organize, suggest binder set up, and give them tips for keeping a calendar and reading their syllabus everyuday really helps them feel in control. If they are receptive they often see an improvement which is encouraging and motivating.
Students who are having personal problems may benefit by being directed towards community or campus resources for help and counseling. Checking in with the student weekly helps make them feel that the instructor cares and may help get them through a rough spot. Sometimes students also benefit from direction on how to set priorities and helping them understand that to achieve their goal they may have to give up some social activities--but when they are through they can resume their full social schedule!
Hi Bill,
What a great way to get a ready-to-quit student involved! Thank you for not giving up on this student. I am sure this student will always remember you.
Patricia
I agree with your thinking, by making the student feel like they belong or they are an important part of the class you can change their whole line of thinking. I once had a student that criticized everything that went on in the classroom. He would state he was going to leave school as soon as he could. One day I toke this student aside and asked him if he could handle a very important project for me and I told him I believed he had the expertise to see it through to completion... He started to focus his energy on this project and forgot about being the class disruption and complainer. He is still in school and states he now wants to complete his education.
