Thanks, Gabriel. What are the signs of "self-defeating attitudes" that you see in your students?
Of course the students need to know that you care about them, before they care
I agree. It is inate human trait to seek to be understood. The pressure of school can be overwhelming to students. Students need to feel like other s relate to them and know that others believe that they can do it. That they can accomplish whatever they set out to do. As faculty and staff, the school must be able to create that safe haven for the student. Councel, advise, chat...it is necessary for them to know that we are there to help them in any way we can.
Marlene,
It is great to see someone use the word "safe" when describing what a school should be. Too often, we focus on books and equipment and forget how important a safe atmosphere can be. Students need to feel free to make mistakes without fear of being ridiculed. They need to know that they are welcome and appreciated each time they are campus.
That is better known maybe as facilitation. Providing the right environment where "aha" experiences can be nurtured, cultivated and promoted. Wow, learning is happening! That is being in the "zone". That is getting in the "flow". A nurturing of the mind! Great point!
Yes as well as financial advisors, parents away from home, a ear to bend, and the list could go on and on. I don't want this to come across as fratinizing, but we hear alot of issues that the students have. As a company in most cases YES one business, As employees many.
true. i deel with students emotional problems on a daily basis. school problems, girlfriend problems, problems with pmom and dad. toy name it, i have had to help them out with it.
Agree. Module 2 addressed a topic that is prevelant at my school. Most of our enrolled students and prospective students have parents that never attended an institution of hiring learning or post secondary education.
During Fin Aid appointments parents may become disturbed by some of the questions and some are even rude/disrespectful towards their child. It is our job to intervene and reassure the student that he/she can succeed and obtaining a post secondary education is possible.
I don't have a pyschology degree, but feel like I do when working with students. I think it's imperative to interpret what they are saying and why.
The suggestion to focus on their HABE's is a good point. We track a student's history as well as their parent's history for highest level of education, residency, etc. It may be a new idea for me and our staff to pay more attention to this information and realize how and why certain student's develop certain patterns of behavior.
Steve,
Why do you think students confide in you instead of other teachers?
Jon,
CCA statistics tell us that over 2/3 of the students attending career colleges are the first person in their family to attend college.
Thanks for paying attention to your students and meeting their needs.
The business of providing an education and as you say...the business of mental heath. Most of our students are there to change their lives..we are there to help them do that
Monica,
What are one or two of the most common challenges your students face as they work toward their goals? What are your college's main strategies for addressing these challenges?
I believe that constant contact is the best strategy. With most of our students facing varied and pressing challenges everyday the best way to assist them is to always monitor the "pulse" of the challenges they maybe running into at any given moment.
Good point, Monica. What are your college's "constant contact" strategies?
Constant contact is a strategy that I use to personally keep retention high in my classroom....I am always checking in with the student..whether in class or in the halls.
Absolutely. I even went back to school to learn more abiout the mental health business. Everyday if we listen we see this on a daily basis. There is not a day going by that someone doesn't need me to be a listiener.
I absolutely agree. I find that I spend a great deal of time helping students overcome mental blocks or deal with personal issues. By doing so, I almost always earn a little more respect from the student, which usually translates to better work. It is an important aspect of our jobs.
Yes I would agree, if a student is not in the "right frame of mind" their education will suffer. So in a round about way we as educators need to evaluate the " mental health" of students. In this way we can see what state of mind they are in and how it effects their ability to learn.
Thanks, Scott.
What are some things you do intentionally to determine what state of mind your students may be in? What do you do intentionally to put them in a good state of mind for your classes?
Mental health seems to cover a multitude of sins in my book. By some definitions we certainly are and in another senario we are not. Is it really our business to determine if a student is capable of learning a particular subject? Some people are limited by which side of their brain is the most exercised. A truely balanced person (student) can tap into the artistic and or the logical side of thinking almost at will. I personally do not believe that a person is limited to being right or left brained, only people that don't bother to use the side they don't like or are not familiar with. If you mean is it our job to access this condition then yes, we are in the mental health business.
