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.
This course was an excellent reminder to me of the importance of staying connected with every students life realities and needs in order to keep them motivated.
This course was insightful.
I think it is a great idea to look at the classroom from the students point of view, and then make adjustments to peek their interest.
See the classroom through the eyes of the students to create a setting that is supportive
teaching a case and teaching a class are very different. Teaching a case is independent of who is in the room, teaching a class is catering to each student and their learning needs.
As an educator, we are responsible for creating an environment that allows all ages to engage and contribute to the learning process. The classroom is a lab the we create for students to explore and learn through to move forward and succeed in their career goals.
I learned a lot from this course but what stuck out to me was being relatable to the students. When you're relatable to the students it not only make them more comfortable but it motives them. It gives them that extra motivation to come to class, do work, and learn because they don't feel misunderstood or alone.
I need to understand where each and every student is coming from. Look at them as individuals who all have different styles of learning.
Very informative lecture! Knowing your students is important, as it shows you are aware, and awareness brings you/everyone one step closer to being successful.
I enjoy how this course talked about getting to know your student needs and also establishing small groups with different age range.
This was a great course, and I learned that motivation is the key to learning. Showing people who they are and who they can't be using Maslow's hierarchy of needs is extremely vital. Maslow loves the hierarchy of needs stated hierarchy of needs plainly. If the students are constantly worried about day-to-day problems, it makes it difficult for them to learn. As an instructor, I need to try to help them walk through these things so they can learn. Focusing on the bigger picture is what it truly is about. I tell my students that the person that I'm really interested in is the older version of themselves. I'm not looking at the state of where they are now, but will be what they will become. Mark Twain said that the two most important days in a person's life is day you are born and the day you find out why.
Its important to identify student demographics i.e., age, culture, disabilities, etc... and tailor learning to meet their needs fostering success.
