Understanding Student Characteristics:
This course has been quite informative. There are many things that I have learned, however, I will narrow it down to three major points that have greatly inspired me: Cooperation between student who differ in age, How to make a student coming from another culture or country feel comfortable in class, and A good strategy to use when dealing with student frustrations.
Assigning students of different ages to work together in small groups permits students to show an appreciation for students of all ages. The participants have an opportunity to become more open to what the student may contribute to the group work without judgement of age. Thus far, I have worked with students ranging from 18- mid 40's. Recently, there was a group activity in one of my courses. It will be a pleasure to see how the group presentations pan out as they were not previously divided by age, yet rather a 1-5 count off to split into groups.
It is an honor to work with a plethora of students from Senegal, Africa to Germany. Many of my American students are in the military and have had great exposure to various cultures due to their travels. It is helpful to learn tips how to make students coming from a different culture or country feel comfortable in class. My practice has been to pause throughout the lectures to ensure all students understand which is one tip within the course.
Lastly, I am no stranger to dealing with a frustrating student and actively listening to a student express him/herself without engaging in any negativity is my practice. It is always my intention to encourage every student to view things from a positive lens, continue to encourage, then move forward once the intention to guide in their educational development is articulated.
From this module I have learned the importance of incorporating real life experiences into classroom lectures in order to keep students engaged and to also demonstrate the transferability of knowledge (both old and new).
Different students have different expectations for the class and need to be communicated with differently.
Student supports are essential for student success. I have many students who struggle with basic and safety issues. Their focus and motivation is lacking because their mental and even physical energy is taken up by the stress of trying to cope with their life outside of the classroom. As an instructor, I make sure to know about and take advantage of all available student support systems on campus and immediately reach out to them when I learn of a situation in a students life that will impede their learning. This is a big part of our job as teachers....to connect students to the supports they need in order to help them regain focus on achieving their career goals. At our institution, we have financial supports that can include help with gas money, or help with finding a place to live. Those things can make or break the experience for the student.
Its important to understand students have different backgrounds and knowledge of the topic. Getting to know your students can help you use the information they know.
diversity with culture and getting to know your students for potential needs and teaching plan
I have learned the importance of viewing the learning experience through the student/learner's perspective prior to
the activity, to be able to help them be successful in completing it, as well as anticipating any difficulties they may have with it.
From the module for Understanding Student Characteristics I learned that knowing and understanding your students is an important part of instruction. I will be able to create or modify my instruction based on the specific needs of my students. I also need to be continuously monitoring my students performance and progress as a part of this process.
For me this course is helpful, however it misses in some areas. Highschool students are not all sure where they want to end up or what they want to do. the reason for them taking my class at least can be as basic as getting a credit or they didn't have another class to be slot in for that hour. It makes retention hard when a lot of the individuals have no interest in the subject matter even if will come in handy later in their lives.
This course was very informative. I learned more about how to address the issues with students and how to adapt with them while still maintaining a professionalism. Student's have a life outside of school and that needs to be respected but school still encouraged.
I learn couple things and one of those things is the different to teach young people to adult people.
I think a combination of things comes to mind. Getting to know your student's learning style as well as limitations areas they excel in. Looking at the class from their perspective and also integrating real life scenarios to help bring the subject to life.
It is one thing to be an instructor and be the image of authority and the go-to for all answers. That is a tremendous feat to take on for one individual. However, it should not be so daunting. While students might have all the needs and wants, there is a finite amount an instructor can do. The most an instructor can do breaks down into two categories:
> Empathy:
An instructor can take the time to relate and recognize that behavior(s) might be sparked by events in a student’s life. For example, a student might live with other people they hardly know and the roommates are loud and disruptive. This creates a difficult situation at home for the student because they cannot study or sleep. This results in the student coming to class late, becoming irritable and doing poor lab work.
> Resources:
An instructor can be very helpful in assisting any student by recognizing the problem and solution. The solution being who next to hand the student off to so the student can get the necessary attention required to overcome their impediment to their success. Most educational institutions have people that are better equipped to address issues and focus on solutions. The best thing an instructor can do is listen and provide guidance.
I feel that is is very important to know if the student is an intrinsic or extrinsic learner. This will help teachers to know how to help student best achieve their best outcomes.
It's hard to teach career skills to a room with different age groups and experience levels.
Understanding student needs while supporting learning.
Understanding student characteristics is paramount for effective student retention methods. By delving into factors such as learning styles, motivations, and backgrounds, educators can tailor their approach to better support students' needs. Personally, I plan to utilize this knowledge by incorporating diverse teaching strategies and creating a welcome learning environment that caters to various student profiles.
It is important to take into account a student's age and culture to aid in teaching a course that helps the student achieve their goals.
I learned the importance of the age diversity in a career program. The comparison between 18-20 yrs old and age 28 and older. The older adults are more motivated than the younger adults.
