What students want
Students want to have instructors to be there at every minute of the day for reinforcement of what is being taught.
Vincent--
I agree that 'on demand' assistance is the perfect scenario and many students do, in fact, expect this. Our general society reinforces this on demand expectation.
While that is the perfect world, it is also necessary to allow faculty to balance their priorities. Clearly stating the availability (times/days, etc.) of when this assistance is provided can provide much needed boundaries.
Susan
I agree, sometimes it gets a bit difficult to be by every students side when they need it but I do the best that I can to get around to all of them. In the pastry classes I teach sometimes were a little bit too full on the class sizes and being a single instructor for a big class can get tricky, but I help manage that by going over info in small groups in addition to one on one
Erin--
Make a great observation, especially given the nature of your class. Personal attention is important and you never know when someone is going to need you! The tactic of working with small groups is a great one.
Susan
This is true but we can't always like in my class I have some students that sit and expect me to give them the answers to such work sheets or even lab. They know I'm there 100% for them but I make them work and put effort into what they do whick they learn to build confendent in them self.
Ronald--
This seems to be an increasing issue. I think some of it is that students in high school are more and more often just given the answers. Critical thinking skills are crucial in the workplace so keep up the good work.
Susan
I worked at a High school and your absolutely correct, with the onset of no student left behind to keep funding teachers are only teaching what is needed to pass the fcat here in Florida. I find students have no Idea how to even take notes.
I agree Susan. But where in the public school system is critical thinking directly addressed? It has come to my attention and possibly your's that general studies have become less challenging for the students'. There's a reluctance to critically assess the student's ability to retain information. In short, to appease the parents that their child is successful, the material has been "dumbed down" to the point that the vast majority of colleges now must have freshman take so many remedial classes.
Dominick--
That's depressing. It also certainly requires that post-secondary education, at all levels, be prepared to teach students some basic skills.
Susan
Tony--
I hear you. Another participant indicated that the No Child Left Behind has cause some real changes in the education system.
Obviously, I don't have the answer but I do continually hear from higher education as well as employers that these skills are more and more needed but not exhibited.
Susan
We also have larger groups that have instructor led labs with only one instructor. I found that putting them in lab groups ahead of time was unproductive and encouraged copying. I now randomly pull a few students at a time to go over the labs and always let them know I am available after class for those who want to go back over the tasks on a one to one basis. This way the students who really did not get enough of your time can feel like they got their money's worth.
No offense, but this suggestion almost sounds like placing a bandaid on a bullet hole. If we are to teach our specific secondary skills, doesn't that imply on the student's part that they come to the table with the primary skill established? A student needs to have the desire to learn, the willingness to be taught. To expect to be given the information and spoonfed life does them no service, if anything, a great disservice! Hold them accountable! Assign homework without guilt! If they choose not to do it, they are cheating themselves.
David--
I agree, we shouldn't lower our standards nor should we feel guilty about assigning homework. We should also be aware that some students may need additional support in some subject areas. Not everyone can pick up the material in all classes with the same ease. It should, as you point out, be up to the students to seek out that help.
Susan
I agree whole heartily… In the environment in which I teach, the instructor must be available to give effective and timely feedback at all times. It is the key strategy in learning and teaching in the technical field. The more often you evaluate, the easier it is to find out if students are on track or not. It's important to give timely feedback so you can identify those students coming into the course with sub-par skills and can get them connected with remedial help early, and they either get an early signal they're going to have to do something if they are in trouble or get affirmation and a challenge to explore the subject more deeply the way the best students in a class can and have all the requisite skills in place.
Steven--
Timely feedback, as you point out, is absolutely critical. If students are off track somehow, it is important to get them back in the right direction as quickly as possible. Since so much of what we learn 'builds' on prior knowledge, this is very important.
Susan
I have had a lot of students that seem to think that the only thing an instructor should do is give them the answers to all the tests. They also think that it is okay if one of their lab partners does their work for them. They think that they are "entitled" to get this for free.
A lot of the students do not see the "value" of their education. Because they have student loans,
they do not see the money that they have spent.
Steven--
This is a growing and alarming trend. I fear this is what is happening now in our public schools and it in no way prepares them for the job market.
Susan
I believe that IF a student is moving to a "higher education" that the instructor should be able to "expect" that they have some of the basic skills down. Even simple things like taking notes, or taking a simple multiple choice answer test. Sometimes they get a rude awakening when they expect the instructor to just give them answers as past instructors have.
Caleb--
You bring up a great point here. I have found that students are less prepared in some of these basic skills. Many have not been held accountable to be prepared...their prior educational experiences were very loose in that respect.
Do you have some type of 'study skills' section in a course? Many institutions include this, along with some time management training, in a first session required course for new students.
Susan
