Gen. education teachers:defending the need for our courses!
I assume there are instructors employed in career schools, much like myself, teaching courses such as: English, humanities, speech, art history, and other general education courses.
Some of you might also assume that non-career colleges enroll a completely different type of student--one much more eager to enroll in your literatue or writing course--trust me, not true...at all!
Having taught for over ten years at community colleges, four year universities, and careeer colleges, it is my experinece that almost ALL of today's students are interested only in classes they see as directlly related to their career field of choice. Thus, accountings majors or nursing majors,attending ANY college in 2010 must be convinced by US of the importance of writing complete sentences and articulating themselves intelligently. The importance of understanding the subjects and skills we teach, including the understanding of history and many other courses not mentioned above, are usually not considered relevant. (Of course, there are always exceptions.)
This student attitude is an additional challenge general education professors face that accounting instructors or instructors of nursing seldom experience. (Although I'm not insinuating such instructors do not have thier own issues with some students' expectations and attitudes.)
Early in the term, I work to "sell" my courses to the students. I usually open with asking my students to guess the number one reason employees are terminated. No student has ever known the correct answer. "Most people are fired because they cannot get along with other people." This fact helps me lead into the need to understand ourselves and others, and I continue to remind them throughout whatever course it might be, that the best nurses, accountants, marketers, etc. know how to understand people by effectively communicating with them. Of course, I want my nurse to draw my blood correctly, but I also want her to show compassion--have soft skills. We know our students need not only career skills, but an education!
I will not use more space explaining the many other "tactics" I use on my students to empahasize the importance of the general education courses that I teach, and for which I have great passion.
Instead, I think it might be helpful if other gen education instructors shared their experience with this seemingly prevalent student attitude, perhaps offering their methods of responding to students who think general education classes are a waste of their time and money. ("Why do I have to take English when I'm going to work on computers?") Sigh.
I look forward to your comments. (And I applaud all of you for your dedication to education.:)
Nancy K.
The next to the last statement, "Why do I have to take English when I'm going to work on computers?" makes the statement for the current generation of students. In the day of computers, cell phones, instant messaging and texting, it seems as though personal contact has gotten lost. As you have said, our students will still need to convince theri future employer they are the one for the job. That will be done face-to-face using the language of the land. It must be perfect or all is lost. thank you for this opportunity to add to your discussion.
Hi Mark,
We must continue in every way to promote our general ed. courses. We have to make students see the importance of them.
Patricia
You mean students do not like GenEd courses unless it is math of course. The only reason to life is to have fun and experience everything we have available. I say try it, you might like it.
Hi Heather,
We can simply learn a lot from our students. Very neat equation your student has shown you, and I like it how you make it applicable to the real world. The right attitude can take you a long way.
Patricia
I agree that most students in a career college setting do not understand the relevance of "soft skills". I read in the paper today that 9 out of 10 people loose their current job/position because of attitude, appearance, outlook, and lack of emotional control in stressful situations.
I always use the Life= 10% What happens to you and 90% Your reaction. Students see how this can affect them. Also you can use a neat tricks one of my students showed me. If you take the word: ATTITUDE and give the letters their numerical value in the alphabet
(i.e. A=1 T=20 T=20 I=9 T=21 U=21 D=4 E=5) then add the amounts together you get 100. So I always say "Attitude really is 100% of you success".
Emphasis on the relevance of general education courses/materials being presented are essential to their educational progression in their chosen career field is key.
Hi Nancy,
As you mentioned, it is extremely important for our students to know how to communicate effectively, not only verbally, but written communication as well, and need I mention spelling additionally. I just had a student to lose her job due to not being a strong speller/READER...how sad.
Patricia
