Career goals
Can students be motivated that have not set career goals? These students seem to be in a group that shows the highest drop out rate. Mixing them with students that have set firm goals only frustrates them.
Hi Les,
You have hit upon a real problem when it comes to student progress. I like to spend time with those students having issues with goals and try and pull out of them what they are really trying to accomplish in their training. I find that most often they have felt pressured to make a career choice without understanding all of the components of that career. Through discussions I have been able to help them develop a clear understanding of what the career is about and how their training will help them to achieve a life style that is consist with their life goals.
Gary
I must agree, that when you can focus them on thier life goal, that the career goal that they are here, in school, for is a step in the direction tward obtaining that greater goal. The student will usually have some interest in that field and it is to show them that there is alot more than just what they are seeing in the classroom.
Scott
Hi Scott,
It is always amazing to me that many students don't see the classes they are taking as being a part of their career progress, yet they are paying a large amount of money to get the training. As instructors we have to keep reminding them of the goals they have and the progress they are making.
Gary
I believe the majority of students can be motivated and directed toward a career goal. On the first day of class my school does a fun goal directed orientation. For example, the students discuss their likes and dislikes, past sucesses and failures, things that might hinder them in the days to come and how they can try to overcome these problems, reasons why they are in school,and what they can look forward to when they graduate. This is done in a short informal forum with small goups.
Being in a mixed group seems to expose those not directed with ideas they had not thought of in the past.
Hi Margaret,
As President Johnson said "When you are talking your aren't learning anything" and this is true for many students. By using the approach you do you are giving your students a wide variety of view points and career strategies that they normally wouldn't have access to. Good idea.
Gary
I think this is so true. I have always tried to make every discussion releavant. It seems when I ever I have to teach a fomula the students become disinterested in the topic. I have learned to teach the concept and how they will use it before I teach the formula.
Hi Jeffery,
Good strategy. Concept application and reinforcement helps students to make the new information a part of their memory storage.
Gary
With talking to some of the student here i have found that there are alot of students that have had family or friends push them into the school choice. These students do not fully understand what their career goals are. so i think this is a large problem to overcome sometimes, especially in the younger student body.
Hi Michael,
This is a critical area that needs to be addressed. Career Planning. Students need help with making meaningful, realistic and informed career choices. I believe that the career colleges need to work more closely with the high schools and voc-tech centers to help younger students to "transition" into the next steps of their career preparation careers.
There are a number of models that can be used to help this effort succeed.
Good point.
Gary
Good point! As the instructor I find the student that is in the class due to outside pressures does not apply them self and pushess the rules to the limmit.
An activity along these lines that I have each class do on the first day is to express their relative experience and what their expectations are for the course as it relates to their career goals. I can fine-tune the scope and tone of the lessons if a large majority of the class would benefit from emphasis on some topics and lessons over others. They seem to respond very well to this, even if I merely mention how the current lesson is applicable to what areas of interest they originally expressed and continue to refer to these throughout the class.
