Silent students, both who are angry and those who are shy.
My most challenging students are the ready to quit students and I find that many of these students are older students who have been away from the instructional setting for many years. Some of the strategies that I have found to be effective include focusing some of my lectures, examples and questions on situations that I think some of them have been through so that they feel confident in contributing something positive to the class and their fellow students. It gives them a sense that maybe they really can do this. I also like to give them a little extra attention by emphasizing in class that they gave a good answer or that they did well on a test. I also like to give a lot of positive feedback by writing notes on projects, assignments, and tests again to let them know that they are getting the information and that in the end they are not too old and they will be able to do this and succeed at it.
Great Suggestion Robert. Thank you. I have tried that with the "almost Paramedic" student I encountered in the Medical Assisting class. He liked that I valued his experience. At that point, he realized that paramedic and Medical Assisting program is different. Emergency vs. outpatient care which has many differences. He just had the mentatlity of testing out of the classes. I figured that actually he would have benefited from learning his challenge of staying with a program. His absence became a problem. So I think in the future, I will suggest that he challenge himself to make it to class everyday. After so many absences, now he is trying to come back to school again. what I am trying to say is that his learning benefit would have been to improve his undesciplined habits of attendance once he decides to be in the program.
Identifying challenging students is not hard. Students who sit far, yawning, quiet, doesn't participate in class discussion, leave early, a lot more. What i do is i talk to them privately if i can help them to have interest in class and i ask them if any suggestions that i do to make it course interesting. Privately conversation is effective
Hi Gail,
I understand. Whenever I have these type students I limit the comments/stories up front. I present the limitations in a very friendly tactful professional manner, which still allows for great participation.
Patrica
I am a chef instructor.
If I had to describe my most difficult students, I would have to say that they are students that have already worked in the industry. Often these students come to class with the attitude that they have nothing to gain, that they already know what they need to know and they are just going to school to “get the piece of paperâ€(the diploma).
I usually find out what their work experience is, what types of jobs they expecting to get after they graduate and what do they hope to gain from the class that I am teaching. I approach these types of attitudes with first assessing what their TRUE skill level is (“show me what you can do, don’t tell me what you can doâ€) and then set some goals that fit within the class parameters that match their long term goals.
If they demonstrate a high skill level, I may have them help with students that are struggling. They learn more by teaching the subjects to others.
Set it up so they feel that they have something to gain and their work experience has value
I find the center-stage students the most challenging. It seems they always have a comment or some similar experience that they feel they need to present. Sometimes these are relevant and bring about class discussion, but too many times in one class period can really put you behind in covering course material. I know the course material suggests meeting with them or assigning them the role of observer, but then I feel I am singling them out, and I am afraid they will feel that their comments are not appreciated and will not contribute at all in future classes.
Hi Elizabeth,
I hear you. We need people like you who can make a difference. It amazes me your institution does not have policies in place pertaining to profanity, piercings, dress code, etc. At my institution it is not tolerated. We are a stickler for professionalism with our students. Perhaps, you institution may need to implement some rules, policies, and procedures for students.
Patricia
I find the center-stage students to be the most challenging. They take up an awful lot of time and energy to keep in check. The inattentive students are much easier to engage and get to work, but the center stage ones really push limits. Many times they are either covering for not being as knowledgeable, or for being lazy, or they hit you with the suck up while they are at it. It is tiring. I have found that most of them are the traditional students, the non-traditional students are far more mature and willing to share without taking over.
I'm new, but the challenges I have faced are having very young, immature students mixed in with older adults returning to school after working for years. The older adults have little patience for the younger ones who I have actually had bring in crayons and coloring books. No joke. They expect me to control them, but the younger ones are coming straight out of public high school and they don't understand life yet. They cuss and have unallowable piercings all over their face. I am not "old" by any means, but I am a professional and really did not go to school to be a teacher. I am a nurse. I find it difficult and sometimes don't want to continue teaching. It would just be easier to work and be responsible for just my own work.
Ashley,
I would agree with you and your strategy for the use of seating charts. The number one complaint I receive from students is "My instructor is treating me like a child and I am not in High school anymore:" However, after investigating the situation, nine times out of ten, there was child like behavior from the student which resulted in child like treatment. So, sometimes we have to draw on our past experience to solve simple concerns.
I find that communication and staying on top of things help with challenging students. Being prepared on what I am teaching also helps because not knowing the answer to their questions will make them angry and sometimes loose their respect towards the instructors. I also make sure to follow up on questions that I am not able to answer right away.
Being tough sometimes doesn't work for me, but rather 'firm' and give them what is expected in the very beginning is good.
Addressing the problems timely is the best solution I have found so far. My most challenging students are those who loudly disrupt my class instead of addressing their problems in private with me. Most of the times, addressing the students who disply the inability to communicate properly by themselves makes the situation better.
I find the most challenging students to be the inattentive ones as well. I don't think engaging them in class is the only struggle however. I find that these are the students who frequently come in late, wander out of class to take "breaks", and run out of the classroom as quickly as possible when class lets out. It is extremely difficult to try to get face time with these students individually to get to the bottom of their "boredom". I also find that when a coaching session does occur the attitude of these students may improve for a few days but often they revert right back to their previous behavior after a few breakthrough classes. Sometimes they seem to need the same pick-me-up conversations every day to stay enthusiastic. I feel for these students and want very much to help, but I do also feel that this issue can be a drain on the instructors enthusiasm at the same time.
I have a culinary class and they have only lab work. The first week I let them work where they want. At the end of the week they draw table numbers of where they will work the next week. They do this each week. This way they work with different people so they do not form a dependencey on one person. I explain that in the industry they have to learn to work with many different people in a kitchen and at the same time rely on themselves. For the most part it works.
Hi Robert,
Do not tolerate the continued disruptions. These students need to be dealt with quickly and swiftly. Get the support from your DOE and have these disruptive students removed from your class. The disruptions are not fair to others who truly want to learn.
Patricia
Some of the biggest challenging students for me have been the disinterested talkers. When they are disruptive to students near them I prefer to mention to them at break that there are complaints about their talking. An occasional pause during lecture and stare can help as well. But, it seems to be an ongoing battle to remind some. I get the feeling they are pushing the behavior as far as I will allow. After reading others responses, I am considering how to institute a seating chart. Up to now I had considered it to be a little childish for this group of student, but that's what this type of challenging student seems to be asking for by their behaviors.
My most challenging group of students are career changers. They are focused on a specific goal and seem to disregard any informaation that they deem unecessary in acheiving that goal. Often extra time needs to be spent demonstarting real world applications of that skill set. Some people will never be responsive during the lesson but may seek that information later in their schooling or even after graduation when a situation presents itself that the skill is needed.
Honestly the students who challenge me are those who can be identified as inattentive. There are always one or two who choose not to participate on a regular basis. When I identify this behavior, I will make a point to call on them during class discussion. When they come to class without their assignments, I'll ask them to talk to me when a private moment presents itself. Most of my tactics work in the short term--for that specific moment or that day--but I've found it very difficult to change the pattern of behavior over the long term. The challenging students are those who continue to behave as if they don't care. These are the students who create the most frustration for me personally.
Students who are already aware of the topic to be covered sometimes make the most difficult students as they "know it". Utilizing their talent in helping with discussions is one way to be more effective.
