Trying to help someone that wont let you
What do you do with a student that you see is strugling,but put up a wall and wont let you in to help
Mike,
Continue to provide help as much as you can. If the student refuses the help them you know you have done all that you can and if the student fails then he/she has made the choice rather failing due to support failure.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
The best thing that you can do is make sure that you are available if and when they need assistance. I actually like to see students try to solve their problems and issues on their own, I think that is the best way to learn and understand. It really irritates me when a student runs into a problem and they do not even try to solve it before asking for assistance. They just seem to want to be spoon fed the solution instead of getting the solution on their own. That stated, I will not allow a student to just flounder.
This is an issue that we deal with quite a bit at my school. I teach at a skilled trade school and have some very tough cases. I believe some students come from very poorly structured public schools where they may not have received the help they need. Many have enrolled in previous post secondary schools that they were dissatisfied with. Many even show a distinct dislike for authority.
The suggestions already made are perfectly true. Do what you can for the students, be available if they need you. However, me and my fellow instructors often receive the blame for our students' failures. Even though I have done everything that I could to engage the student and to try to get them to learn the required material, it often seems that administration believes that we didn't do enough.
It is particularly difficult in our current local economy. We have many students who do not have their own transportation, or who cannot always afford gas money. People who have been unemployed or underemployed for many months or years. It can be extremely difficult to motivate or even get students to focus on their work if they have so many other things on their mind.
Sorry for going off on a tangent and back to the topic at hand. I have always tried to do exactly what the others recommended previously: Do the best that you can for your students and be there if they need you. Truly understanding the different learning styles can help immensely as well. Tactics that work well with one student may not work with another.
The student that will not ask for or accept your help may not be just stubborn. I have had many students that have had poor experiences from previous instructors. Because of that they have low expectations of me when they come into my class. I have also had many students that may feel "stupid" or "clumsy" or inadequate in some other way. They may feel they are "unteachable" or they may just be nervous or embarrassed.
The absolute best thing that you can do in these cases is to show them that you truly care about how they are doing. Always offer constructive criticism and continue to help guide them toward their potential. It may take some time, but a majority of these stubborn students will begin to excel. If you show that you honestly believe they can become something, they will believe it too.
Sean,
I have taught in a similar situation. I don't have a ready solution to the problem but I know with the strategies you are using you are making a difference to some of the students. I hate to lose even one student but I know I will for a variety of reasons outside of my area of influence. I concentrate on being the best teacher I can be so at the end of the class I know I gave my best professional effort to engage every student. I enjoy my successes with students that put forth the necessary effort and keep working to improve my own instructional expertise. This way I know I have done all I can and feel good about the lives I was able to impact. I wish you continued teaching success.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
