Hi Michael,
Students do what to know that they have a voice and that they are being listened to. Actually, I had a question/answer session in my class today, and as always it went over well. You must be able to control these type sessions because I have seen where they have gotten out of hand.
Patricia
As many have said- lay the cards down on the first day. Explain expectations and how the policy is for your class and the school. Ensure them they can come anytime "open door policy" to speak with me on any issue. As the weeks pass I will address the class and have an open forum on their views and take on the "direction of the class"; allow for input. This gives empowerment and makes them feel part of the decision-making process which I have seen less issues and complaints throughout my years of teaching.
Hi Edward,
Enthusiasm is such a trickle down effect when it comes to education. If the instructor is not excited about the course, of course, the students are not going to be excited. Stay excited Edward!
Patricia
Hello Steven,
The key is dealing with minor issues before they become big problems. I like to keep an open line of communication between my students and I.
Patricia
Be carefull how you present your program. Always be enthusiastic and up beat when you outline the course on the first day. If you are negative or pesamistic your class will be that way too.
If you are able to freely speak with your students, you can prevent a lot of issues. If you can gain insight as to their points of view, it is easier to deal with minor issues before they explode.
Hi William,
Students like the open line of communication, and students also appreciate fairness. We as educators must listen to our students.
Patricia
I feel the one major way of reducing student complaints and challenges is by being open about what is expected and then be fair about the discipline if there are issues. Always have an open line of communication available for them and make sure you are listening and acting not reacting to what is said
Hi Darlene,
It is the nature of the business, and as long as you stay in education, you will always have challenging students. You deal with the challenging students as indicated in the course and other methods that have worked for you.
Patricia
Hi Darlene,
I find this practice does work with challenging students. Whenever challenging students are made to feel important, things generally flow a lot smoother.
Patricia
I have found that you will always have students that will challenge you in every way. In adult learning, students need to learn how to be a student all over again.
They need rules and guidelines as to what is expected of them. Once those are know to them and they are treated as adults, then the challenging student usually goes away.
If a student has a complaint, listen to their complaint with earnest concern and see what the two of you can do to make it better for them and for you.
I find that taking the challenging student and putting them in charge of mentoring another student, working on a special project for the class and having that student work as a team leader in a group seems to help deal with the students challenges.
It makes them feel that the instructor knows they are just as important as the other students without the student having to show off or act out to get attention from their classmates and from their instructor.
Hi Kenny,
As instructos, there are things that we can do to deter cheating, such as class setup, empty seat between students, demand to clear desks, monitor the room, etc.
Patricia
One of the things I do is to look at the lay out of the classroom.IE class size, desk arrangement Etc. And ask myself on test day" Is this a set up for failure" (cheating, disruptive behavior Etc)If I answer YES then I make adjustments to the classroom, There is a combination of lab and written on test day so I will set it up so one or two are lab testing and the others are written tested and it makes it so there is space between each to prevent or discourage cheating.
Hi Dennis,
It is always a good practice to keep the more challenging students busier. Idle time is not good for challenging students. Also, I too am real big on student involvment as well as group activities. Anytime you can use active learning, do so. The students tend to be very attentive during active learning.
Patricia
A) periodically Throughout the course, during meet and greet ask questions like is there anything else that I can do that would make it better for them.
B) Keep the more challenging students busier in one way or another.
C) Support student involvement during lecture when time permits.
D) assign group research and presentation projects. This works especially well if the class as a whole has been disruptive. This will make them use peer pressure on one another to keep the class quiet so everyone can participate equally when time permits.
Hi Dennis,
Great use of various teaching methodologies. I love using active learning in my classes. The students tend to really enjoy active learning.
Patricia
I use a couple of different methods.
A) I encourage group discussion, when time permits. I will also assign group research
and presentation.
B) When time permits, I will show a demonstration and then have students race to see who can perform the task the fastest.
As far as complaints: I meet and greet at the door everyday and this give me the opportunity to speak with students individually and ask them if they would like to see anything done differently in the class. If they are reasonable, I might implement those suggestions in the next lesson.
Hi Craig,
What a great way to handle challenging students. You are right on point. Sometimes it does become necessary to have the student take the day off to simmer and discuss the issues/concerns the next day so that things can go smoothly.
Patricia
In a situation where the student is challenged. I prefer to take the student in the hallway an let them express thier problems. Allowing them to vent normally helps them relieve thier anxieties. Then I can determine if it is a school related or personal problem. This let's me decide if he or she will de disruptive which would effect all the students learning process. If necessary the student could be asked to take the day off and return tommorow. Explain the decission you make to the student. Let the student know you have understanding of thier problem(s) and you will work on it after class or overnight if necessary. Also I would inform my supervisors and keep them aware of the situation by documentation and verbaly.
