HABE's
How can you change an attitude, habit and beliefs of a student who comes from a broken family, none of the members went to college stay on track?
Bela,
These are the things that make our jobs tough sometimes. Most of our students are first generation. Many have very little support at home.
There are no simple answers here. Finding out why they are there and focusing on that may be a good first step. Another might be to find ways to involve the family is school activities.
I think it helps when we can relate to our students' experiences. Like many of my students, I, too, am a "non-traditional student." My life presented some obstacles that interfered with completion of my college education according to my timeline. By speaking frankly with the students about my personal experiences, and how my HABEs have evolved over time shows them that success IS in their futures, and helps them to identify resources and support throughout their journey.
I recently completed my BS degree...and though I would have suspected that the most meaningful celebration would have been with my family, it was in the classroom with my students. Watching me over the past two years juggle the demands of work, family, and academics proved to them that it is possible to make this all happen. And after I announced my acceptance in graduate school, several students made appointments with me to talk about how to further their education beyond a two-year degree-something that many of them never considered before!
I tell about my poor performance in college to let them know that if you fall down, get up, brush off the dirt, and try again. Sometimes people are afraid of failure, but if they hear of others who failed short-term but succeeded long-term their fear may lessen.
Students who have a lot of odds against them need to know that it is okay if they have rough starts and will sometimes struggle. But, it is important that we help them to understand the reality of what they are trying to accomplish and understand the extra steps that they will need to take if they do not have family support or a good financial footing.
Students do not always have to take a full load, and they can take advantage of whatever services their school offers, whether it be a food bank or bus passes, or scholarships.
Many students, especially students who have a socioeconomic disadvantage, simply do not know that they are creative ways to reach their goals. Sometimes we have to seek these students out in order to help them.
Pamela,
Some students have very little seld confidence and thus do not know that failure is not fatal. We need to be all about second chances and building confidence.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Mentoring is a great way to help a student change their attitude, habit and beliefs. Spending extra time with the students and giving the students examples of individuals that had similar background and succeded in college usually helps
This can be a more challenging task than most would believe. It is important to keep students from getting discouraged. Some people break down so easily, which can be a result of their past experience and family situations. Teaching students to face challenges with a strong front can help them remain strong for the remainder of the course and time at school. Looking at things from a different approach will help them feel more confident about the work they complete and other challenges they face both in and out of school.
