STUDENTS THAT ARE IN SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE, AND NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE
I disagree to some extent. Yes, students are uin school because they realize sooner or later that inorder to face the competitions and challenges of the city they must get higher ranks, higher education, and better skills to perform. Students are realizing that experience is no longer enough in the job force. In this case, I would agree that they see no better options than obtaining an education. In regards to choosing such a hectic and overwhelming life style aside their own personal commitments of families, jobs, and debts, education and schooling has become their savior and hope for a better tomorrow. It's a matter of seeing the glass as half full or half empty.
Katayoun, I think you're right that most students appreciate the value of investing time, talent and treasury in their education although I suspect that there are some who are required to return to school because of workplace expectations. Some of these people can be bitter and "reluctant learners".
But there are students that enroll because the state makes them or will not pay them or their parents make them or kick them out of the house. Retention will drop if you cancel the students or sometimes the students create problems in the classroom because they don't care and cause others to disenroll.
How do you handle these challenging students, Stephen? Is there anything that can/should be done to change the situation?
There are always going to be some students who will resist. I have found that once students know you care and are willing to challenge them to study their attitudes eventually change. The key for me is on-going committment to those students - searching them out among the crowd.
Some schools use the slogan “changing lives, one student at a timeâ€. Joseph, that's what is happening each time you search out a student and help change their attitude toward their studies, their career and their life.
During my experience, I have noticed that many of the students who are forced to participate in training programs to avoid losing income from the state, miss more time and do have much lower grades. However, I recently met a young girl receiving assistance that started out with the same mindset, then a turnaround happened. I actually came into her classroom a couple months before her graduation date, her attitude needed much improvement. After the first couple of classes I began to see a change in attitude, attendance, participation, and grades. The day she graduated I found out the reason for the change, the simplest reason of all, I showed interest in her wellbeing, success and future. So from this I have a new outlook when meeting all new students, no matter the background, just remember everyone has basic needs that need to be met and include safety and security.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Tina. It's difficult to overstate the importance of being concerned for the success of our students. For many, particularly those being sponsored by government agencies or attending to protect benefits, this is an unusual experience. They have been hardened by their life experiences and look at everything from a cynical, often negative, point of view. It takes time and effort to change that paradigm, but the rewards can be great.
I just taught a lesson on this today. You come into resistance if you say "I have to", but if you say "I want to" then you do it for a different reason. You are not fighting against yourself anymore. The only thing Lou Tice says that we have to do is "die."
Unfortunately, I guess Lou Tice is right, but what do you do in your class, Patsy, to make your students “want to�
One of the key issues that I see with students who are in, or believe they are in the "have to" category, is that they have not bought into the long term benefits of their education. They may be in school to satisify someone else: the state, the county, their parents,etc. In these cases, we have to make them understand how their education benefits them. At our schools, it is mandatory that in each course, one of our advisory board members or employers comes into the class and speaks to the student about all of the opportunities that they will have. By constantly reminding students about what awaits them, we have converted many of our students. This is not a silver bullet, but it has made a tangible difference.
Good point, Brian. Not everyone participating in sponsored programs is excited about it. The practice that have outlined certainly should serve to engage students with their future. If it doesn't perhaps it will to some insight about what they really want to do.
You reference a tangible difference. What's the order of magnitude? Have you converted that to dollars? Do instructors see this as a benefit or inconvenience to have to constantly recruit speakers?
In one of our campuses, we have a very large population of students who have been sent to us via agencies. We had roughly a 55% drop rate from this segment -- usually because we had to terminate them for attendance or academic issues. After beginning this, we saw drops from this segment fall to about 35 - 40%. This is about 15 - 17 students saved each year. Many of the students have referenced these speakers as what energized them.
As for instructors, they do not have to recruit speakers. We have worked to cultivate great relationships with our advisory boards and employers through our Career Services departments. They are very willing to come in and do this -- in fact, some of our schools have to have waiting lists for guest speakers. Our education team and Career Services line these speakers up for the instructors.
I completely agree with you Brian. They have to understand the long term outcomes. In most cases they have to be reminded more than once since these are the ones that can be in your high risk catagory.
I teach at a carrer college and I believe at this point you dont run across those students that are in school because they have too. Its not like elementary where the parents are still pushing teh students to be there. At this point, everyone is an adult and makes their own choices. i dont believe there are students in college who are there against their own will. Even if they dont show they want to be there, they do if not they would not be pressent. Bottom line, Everyone knows that a career will only help you.
I hope that this is true for everyone, but I think some of the previous postings refer to students who are 'required' to attend classes to protect their benefits through some social service program. Some of these students are not fully committed to improving themselves or changing their lives, and come to class with a bitter attitude.
Within the building blocks that form the construct of the schools evolved and sustained enviornment is an understanding that 'education is reality'. All of the problems and joys that are present in our society exsist within the walls of the institution. Schools are not sterile enviornments - and certainly in the case of career schools - that is a very good thing. Students need to feel confident that we will help arm them for the battles ahead and do so in very real terms, positively and professionally.
