In terms of age, I've found that emotional maturity (or lack thereof) can be a major stumbling block to academic success.
I'm an instructor in a vocational nursing program, and many of the younger students are lacking this basic level of maturity. Based on their age, this is to be expected. However, when these same students expect to become nurses who are responsible for the safety and lives of their patients, well, that's a whole other story.
Lastly, a lack of emotional maturity makes it difficult for these students to provide appropriate therapeutic communication to their patients.
Hudson
I agree with you Chris, many students feel discouraged after a bad test or assignment. Once the test or assignment is complete, I always go over it. The students and I discuss the questions and I guide them to the right answer and explain why their answer was incorrect. I always reassure the student there is always “a next time†to earn a better grade or to learn from their mistake.
yes i agree, age is a big factor. plus, family sizes are also effecting the learning ability of students. plus, language can also be a barrier as well.
Carol,
I like how your phrased that, "where we came from and where we are going and how we can all be a part of the future of our career." I feel that is especially important these days when there are four generations in the workplace, and in the classroom too. I wrote a paper about it for my masters. Each generation has its own ideas about success, rewards, scheduling, technology, etc. To be a successful multi-generational teacher, I believe we have to know about each one.
Pete
Amen to that! ESL students require added attention, and I usually try to identify them on the first day. A couple weeks ago I was getting a little frustrated at an ESL student who was taking FOREVER on an exam (and I needed the bathroom!) But I calmed myself by remembering that if I had to take a test in HIS language, it would take me a heck of a lot longer. So I relaxed and let him finish.
William,
That was a really eloquent post that was very enlightening as well as entertaining to read. You have some great insight.
Pete
Sexual orientation, identity, and expression are some aspects of diversity that I haven't seen mentioned here. There are some real cultural differences that would be good to understand.
Peter,
Generations is something to be aware of. You are right that you need to be aware of it. So many times, we think that students should change for us instead of us changing for them.
Philip Campbell
It is also important to be aware of the diversity of age and past experiences among the students. The different generations of students can impact the atmosphere of the classroom. A multi-generational class will influence the way students interpret not only the information presented, but also evoke emotional triggers that present themselves when dealing with historical information. Past experiences and the historical period we grew up in make up who we are and how we look at information. It is important for the instructor to understand this generational diversity and allow for the exchange of cross-generational opinions and information.
I agree with the fact that socioeconomic diversity is a HUGE aspect of understanding others. Socioeconomic issues can also have a big effect on how students get along with eachother and their class performance.
Age, socioeconomic, political, experiences, income level, career development and status, race, gender, aesthetic diversity.
The learning environment in which I teach is not only culturally and ethnically diverse, we also have vast differences in age and intent. Circumstances arise in which an older student may not receive the level of respect he/she feels is warranted by their age from younger students. Other times students with an intent to pursue a career path based on the curriculum deride students in attendance for purely avocational reasons. In these circumstances I make clear that every student has the right to education in the best possible atmosphere, and intolerance is unacceptable in learning environment.
Students come from many different backgrounds and circumstances, their pasts may have been very divergent (financially) which can bring the students to school for different reasons.
One type of diversity I encounter as an instructor is socio-economic. Different socio-econmic backgrounds influence previous education(high school, college, etc.) It is challenging to teach basic culinary math in a classroom that holds a diverse crowd of students. At this moment I have 1 student who was a pharmacist for 20+ years, I have students who just came out of high school, I have another who has just retired and a handful who have experience 1-2 years of previous college coursework. Once an insturctor is aware of the population of the class, the instructor can decide how much time is needed for a specific subject, or on what sort of approach is necessary.
Kimberly,
The diversity of our students is what makes us different from many other schools?
Philip Campbell
Two other diversities within my school are socio-economic and ageism. Students come from many different places to attend school here. Some from the inner city and some from the suburbs so rather than cultural and ethnic diversity the income of these students is rather prevalent.
Age is another diversity within the school there are many students who are changing careers and fisrt time college students that could not attend college after high school. This causes the most issues within the school the older students do not understand the younger students and vica versa. The older students feel the younger students act like they are in high school and the younger students feel that the older students are like Mom and Dad.
In beautiful San Francisco, CA where I work and live you definately need to be very aware of diversity and how to successfully implement and deliver the information and skills to be taught to the students. We need to be sensative, compassionate, understanding, and supportive. This will make us effective teachers.
One aspect of diversity that is easy for me to overlook is the variety of proficiency levels within any of my classrooms. It’s often tempting for me to teach to the upper end of that spectrum because it’s easier and more enjoyable. Often, with such limited time in the classroom, I’ve found it more effective to speak to the middle in class and work with individuals outside of class who are having difficulty grasping the material or getting the work done.
I think sexual orientation is another diversity that instructors have to be aware of. Regardless of personal feelings about sexual orientation, that should not come into play as an instructor.
Students have different learning styles and linguistic abilities. There is also a diversity in student opinions. Teachers have to incorporate different methods when presenting the lesson. This includes elements such as: demonstrating, modeling, giving feedback, reviewing, and emphasizing higher-order skills, while avoiding excessive amounts of rote learning.
