Sharing personal problems can be a two edged sword, particularly for students just completing their first week. They haven't had enough time to get comfortable with their classmates and probably will be reluctant to share personal issues. However, you probably can create a more generic sharing exercise that allows conversation about the most common problems. Do you plan to follow up with the student's individually to help them formulate an action plan, Constance?
Loren, That's a very good question. Student feedback about what they would like to see or hear in orientation should provide valuable feedback. The more we involve students in activities that address them, they might be more accepting or might even take ownership of their successes.
How do you accomplish this?
There's no simple answer to your question, Anthony. There are so many variables that impact student engagement. Some of the 'usual suspects' are group/team projects, activities for extra credit, or mentoring systems.
What have you used?
I totally agree that bringing in past students is a great way to encourage the current students. The success the past students have are very encouraging. Plus, past students share alot of the experiences they had as students, both good and bad.
Is there something more that we can do as teachers to give our students the real world experience?
What are you doing now, Terry? What aspect of "real world experience" are you looking to provide?
