Age Diversity in the Classroom
How do you combine a class of hyperactive, giggly high school students with elderly professionals in search of a quiet career later in their lives?
Hi Ramon,
Good question. This is something that we all face all the time. One strategy that works very well is to break the class into pairs. I assign one of the nubies and a seasoned student to work together. This type of pairing helps to tone down the nubies and to bring up the energy level of the seasoned students. A balance is created and good work comes out of these pairings. In addition the two contrasting team members develop respect for each other as the class progresses.
Gary
I found age diversity pairing works well in a classroom setting, but pairing a young and older person in an online setting can create communication challenges. Any thoughts?
I find that pairing a younger and older person together in a group works well. The group tends to rise to the motivation level of the more motivated person. I also have found that playing some sort of game or drawing numbers from a hat to form the groups works well for forming the groups. An idea for an age diversity ice breaker idea is to ask the group with significant age difference to interview each other to find similarities also works well.
Hi Catherine,
Haven't had such an experience so I'm not able to provide any insight on this. In pairing the students it seemed the projects they were working on took center stage and their age differences didn't factor in. Hope others have had experiences with such pairings and will be able to provide some helpful information.
Gary
I find that setting expections of behavior and holding students accountable is best. the older students appreciate the disclipine and the younger students start to learn the expectations of the college classroom.
This is a particular challenge when teaching in the culinary field. Often the elderly professional will be extremely frustrated by the younger student and the younger being disrespectful (perceived). As a Department Chair I field this issue often. Having a conversation with both and pointing out the fact that they actually need each others strengths to succeed.
Our format of cooking practicals in teams of two requires speed, experience and stamina. By enlightening both students they can see their individual roles clearer which ultimately help them both succeed.
Hi Kevin,
This is a great way to find balance between diversity of your students. If you can get them working toward a common goal then the age differences don't seem so important as that final preparation in the practical.
Gary
In my field this is very noticeable as they feel the recording business is all glamour while the older students that actually have experience know exactly what they are walking in, by letting the students pair up with disparities in there age the younger students seem to behave more seriously while the older student might lighten up a bit to encourage the younger one. Letting them know the truth of there career path and what to expect helps in the realization that they are making " career" choices that may be lifelong.
It has been very interesting in my class dealing with high school students and other students that really want to learn. What I have found to be the most helpful is requiring a certain level of professionalism in the class that everyone has to abide by. When the students realize that they are not going to get away with their giggly behaviors they usually stop especially if they really want to succeed. Also having time for everyone to be themselves where it is not disturbing the learning, like in review games also helps so the high school students don't feel like they are traped.
In general I find the older students to be far more committed to their success in school. This generally stems from their knowledge of what it takes in life to be successful in a chosen career. Many times they seem to wish they had pursued a formal education at a younger age. The younger students have not necessarily had this experience yet. Regardless of the class, I think it is important to have open discussion time in a career college setting regarding the goals of all the individual students. This allows the older students time to share their motivation and passion for their chosen field with the younger students. Many times I have found this really helps to focus the younger students on success, because they see the value in committing to a field at a younger age. They will also tend to use the older students as a reference for life experience as well, which I find beneficial. Many times a student motivating another student can work better than the same advice coming from an instructor.
Hi Elizabeth,
I like your way of handling the younger students. Even though they have made a big stop forward in their career development by enrolling in your college sometimes their maturity level hasn't quite caught up with their behavior. So by letting them know the level of expectation for their behavior and that everything you are doing is related to their career success you are showing them the way. In addition, you have built in a little time for them to play while learning.
Gary
Hi Sarah,
Good points on how motivate students. Peer to peer encouragement is very effective and instructors need to use this resource every chance they get. This way students will not only hear it from the instructor they will hear from their fellow students.
Gary
I think that it's most awkward for the older students when the overwhelming majority of the class is just out of high school are there are only a couple of students in their age group. In such situations the older students usually tend to stick together. I think that this too can be beneficial and motivating. It's always comforting to share an experience with someone else in the same boat.
Hi Kristina,
Yes, they tend to group up. This is understandable so once the class gets started you can let them work together for a while and then move them around where they get the chance to work with younger students. This will help both groups to develop respect for each other.
Gary
