THE INSTRUCTORS FRAME OF MIND IMMEDIATELY IMPACTS THE STUDENTS AND CAN INSTANTLY ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE THE STUDENTS. I FIND THAT IF YOU ARE OPEN AND SHOW STUDENTS HOW YOU LEARN AND WHATS EFFECTIVE FOR YOU, THE STUDENTS OPEN UP ABOUT THEIR BEST TOOLS. THIS GIVES THEM AN OPEN FRAME OF MIND AND LETS THE STUDENT KNOW THAT YOU ARE RECEPTIVE AND INTERESTED IN THEM
Gayle, I agree that an integrated approach is best. I am distressed by educators who over rely on only methods they are comfortable with, and ignore the rest (such as using only lecture).
Michele Deck
I myself am a combination of learning styles and when we assess our new students before class, we find the majority of individual student's assessments of themselves to be more even than falling neatly into the buckets of jabber/naturalist/etc. We have to be careful then to not pigeon-hole them into the style that they scored the highest on, and take all of their answers into consideration. That being said, I believe that the frame of mind/style has some effect on the learning process, but is not the missing piece because in theory, a generalized, integrated approach to teaching should create an inclusive learning environment.
therese, the ultimate challenge is to teach math in ways students can grasp it. Thank you for your varied approaches to get them all to successful outcomes.
Michele Deck
An instructor's frame of mind impacts the student's learning process. As an instructor I think we have to take time to learn students' learning styles and be willing to change the way we might teach a certain class if the "usual way" isin't working. A student's frame of mind definitely affects the learning process as well. I often see students enter my dosage calculation class with a pre-conceived idea that they will not do well because they have always had trouble with math. I tell them to have an open mind and that positive thinking goes a long way. I also use different approaches/problem solving skills geared towards the different kinds of learners in the class.
Sometimes students enter a classroom with a preset state of mind. This can have a tremendous effect on learning outcomes. Not only do negative thoughts interfere with their learning, but baggage that is brought from home often places negative feelings in the way of their learning. Unfortunately not all problems can be solved with learning methods. Instructors need to be counselors as well.
Frame of mind has a huge impact on the learning process. If a student isn't confident that they have the potential to succeed then their failure may be inevitable. Sometimes I get students that start a program because someone in their personal life has pushed them to. Students that start out being there feeling forced don't tend to have much confidence either. As instructors we tend to be life coaches as well. Students sometimes need a person to just tell them that they are capable of success. That alone can be helpful in changing their thought process.
When students are preoccupied with some aspect of their lives, they tend to let their minds wander and this makes retaining any information very difficult.
