My students stress me out
As an undergraduate and graduate student, I always made school my priority. My parents could not really contribute financially to my higher education, and as a result, I relied heavily on financial aid, including massive student loans. I did well academically overall and pursued mathematics, which is a subject I am passionate about. I did work part-time as a tutor, lab/teaching assistant, and grader to cover all my books and transportation expenses. It was hard working more than 20 hours on a given week because of school conflicts as I also needed to cover rent and utilities. Nevertheless, my grades and learning the material presented in class usually came first.
My adult students are a different story. I understand that they have families of 4 kids who need to be homeschooled, are suffering from the side effects of triple by-pass heart surgery, are getting divorced from an abusive spouse, have been out of school between 6 and 35 years, and work three jobs just to survive. Reality is far from ideal, and I am fully aware of that. Any effort they make to further their education is commendable. Notwithstanding, I can't accommodate them with late assignments on a consistent basis. I also don't consider studying 8 to 10 hours outside of class an unreasonable proposition for a college level math course, which is at best remedial high school material. I also strongly believe that they should seek help from me or an available tutor as soon as they notice a poor grade on a quiz or problem set. But to my dismay, this is only wishful thinking. I tell all my students that math requires patience and dedication; unless you already know the material, it is unlikely that you can prepare well for a midterm the night before. Moreover, most of my students have either failed algebra on multiple tries or barely passed their Prep Math course with a D. With only two exceptions, the better students don't study as hard as they should because they are confident in their abilities, and then they see a decrease in their quiz scores. In turn, all of this stresses me out because program directors want to know why their students are not doing well in my class (which leads to mostly unsuccessful interventions with failing students), the students become angry and frustrated, and I start feeling incompetent as an instructor when only 3 out of 10 students show signs of truly understanding the material.
I have been tempted to tell some of these students to reevaluate their choices and reconsider if attending college at this juncture in their lives is really the best idea. I know they are not studying as they should; they barely dedicate a few hours before class to their homework; they expect the allowed calculator will solve rational equations for them without having to know what is going on; and they simply don't assume any responsibility whatsoever for their performance in my class. Unfortunately, I know this might sound discouraging and would affect retention, so I bite my tongue.
My department chair is aware of this, and he has told me it's a challenge that originates from our student body. Other than not passing along students from the Prep Math course with a grade below 80% (curve not included), which is something outside my control, I don't know how to minimize this source of stress.
I would appreciate any insight.
Your post rings true with me! I took 22 years to get my undergraduate degree (really!) and devoted a lot of time to studies to do the best I could with the material.
Both the twenty-something set and older students do seem to be rather casual about their approach to study.
I make it perfectly clear in the syllabus that I have high expectations of them. I discuss it in the first class of the semester; and with a smile on my face I tell them "I can't open your head and pour in the knowledge" and "you will get out of this class what you put in to it".
Because I teach in a curriculum that is my full time job I also use that as leverage; "when you finish your program you and I will be peers, and I expect A LOT from my peers!".
It is frustrating that people do not take their opportunities seriously. I have told the students who whine "this is too hard" that they should consider their options for education and career goals; and tell them "if it was easy then everyone would be certified in this field". They can take or leave that recommendation.
Gee, it really feels good to get that out! Thanks for your post!
What is really interesting is that I could have written your question, taken out math, and put in a nursing course; it is so very similar to my situation. But to make matters even more interesting, I will be teaching a college math (general education) course next term.
I spend a great deal of time prior to the actual course mapping out an outline of each night's class lecture topic and include homework for the next class which I hand out to the students. I also include when there will be tests and quizzes, what they will cover, and the date. Now, it is up to the students to be prepared for that night's class as well as the test/quiz. I accept no excuses because they know from the very beginning. Yes, I have revised my course outline dates (often numerous times) to accomodate unforseen circumstances.
In the past, students did contact me if they had questions up to a certain time of night. This term no one has called and the grades are down.
I offer tutoring (on their schedule) but that has not worked. Unfortunately, there have been other instructors who simply give them the answers to memorize and even with that, some grades are lower. Administration became aware of this when I was questioned why my students had lower grades than the other course they were taking. I informed them about the above situation (and some students also told the truth---of course the ones that were doing well in both classes.)
We are dealing with a student population very different from our own circumstances. I have three degrees and I am in my second career path. I prioritized, did without, worked while going to school, etc. but I had a goal in mind. Sometimes I feel our current world in NOTHING like I was used to when I was in school. If we could get student to really FOCUS on goals and to know they won't be achieved immediately like everything in our world today, then our students have a good chance of success. But the thing is, we can't compare "us" to "them." Somehow, we have to enter their world and speak their language. This, I need help with. Any ideas out there?
Certainly, circumstances are unique to each individual, whether we are talking about instructors or students. The ironic part is that I will be turning 25 next week. When I am teaching a course, I am usually one of the youngest persons in the classroom.
I think the problem is that most of my students just see my class as a barrier to a new job. Even when I reiterate how the reasoning behind calculations is important when determining dosages for medications or interest and penalty rates on a payment plan, students have no desire to learn something "new" that they initially struggle with. A few have also complained that my passion for math is annoying when I say a certain theorem is beautiful because it is so powerful and yet succinct. They are quite proud of the fact that they have gotten to where they are without math. They also don't like to be wrong after working on a problem for a while.
I guess these are all aspects of human nature, but if they don't change their views or at least consider a different perspective, then I think it will be hard for them to focus on passing my course. I would also gladly appreciate any advice regarding how to inspire adult students who dislike math and may have trouble learning basic arithmetic. If I can awaken their curiosity for math to the point where they want to learn some of it on their own, then I think our classes will be much more rewarding.
Stefano, It sounds like you are dealing with a difficult group of students. It's tough when our students lose motivation, or come to us with no motivation to begin with. As far as inspiration goes, trying to put your course content into context could help. I recommend learning more about where your students are coming from and the kinds of challenges they face today. If you can put math in that context, and show its' utility, you could increase interest and attention.
Dr. Melissa Read
I bet everyone who has taught adult learners in a career college setting could empathize with you, regardless of discipline (I teach English). One thing to keep in mind is the diversity present in the classroom. I have had students that were homeless, and many that never finished more than one or two years of high school, but had earned GED's instead.
When that is the case, we have to remember that those students have more obstacles than just a lack of math or English knowledge; they have to overcome the fact that they do not know how to be college students. One way I deal with this is to incorporate study skills lessons and discussions of professionalism into my courses. It would be nice if such courses were in place as requirements, as that would allow students to move on to more complex classes with some experience being students in a professional, adult classroom. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and it is up to individual instructors to address those needs.
