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Students Who Blame and Instructors Who Don't
by
Jack H. Shrawder, Executive Director,
Teaching
For Success, Faculty Success Center
Tip
from the TFS Adjunct e-Mentor Program: Clarity, Confidence, and
Capability
Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes real happiness.
It is not obtained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a
worthy purpose.
~Helen Keller
A TFS Adjunct Faculty LinkedIn Group member
recently described the need to solve a common problem:
I am fairly new to college
teaching. I teach introductory classes which are mostly college freshmen. My
experience with this population is their lack of responsibility for their
progress. Many blame the instructor for their poor study habits and reading skills.
Many share the belief that they are spending too much time reading and that
instructors are giving too much work. Many complain about their lack of free
time after class and weekends. Some are having problems with the retrieval of
information from memory for exams. Some students have even suggested I read
the chapters to them to help them with their studying for exams. Any suggestions on how to
handle this group will be greatly appreciated. Discussion
Link
How to Apply Teaching For Success Principles
to This Problem
I see the class you describe as an opportunity to
exercise a leadership role in bringing to the instructional table the issues
of roles, expectations, and responsibilities right up front in the first
couple of class meetings.
A discussion that brings to the fore a clear understanding of your role,
expectations, and responsibilities incurred as a college instructor and the
role, expectations, and responsibilities of a college student creates a
better learning environment. Sometimes we, as instructors, assume these concepts are clear and understood by all college students when, in fact, they are not. If not addressed at the outset, a great deal of time and effort must be spent later to deal with problems created by those who bring a fixed or closed mindset to class.
The mindset
transition to an adult occurs when the individual decides he or she is
responsible for what happens to them and the knee-jerk reaction of childhood
to blame someone else or something else transforms to one of personal
responsibility to find solutions to the inevitable ups and downs of learning
new knowledge.
Some students
have a belief that adults or instructors in general don't have problems,
setbacks, frustrations, etc., and they think that their life or learning
problems should be at the top of everyone else's concerns.
When I take on
the instructor role, I believe have a leadership opportunity to teach my
class on the level of an adult, high-achievement mindset experience where
responsibilities and expectations are clear.
Furthermore, the
negative consequences of relying on childish tendencies to blame, complain,
and employ lack, loss, and limitations thinking to solve a problem are
treated as a drag on learning and student motivation.
******************
Recommended Ideas
for More Teaching Improvement
Leadership in Balance In How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael J. Gelb explains how Leonardo used seven leadership principles to energize, enrich, and balance life.
Some "Recommended Ideas"
are restricted to access by faculty at colleges with a TFS Institutional
Subscription. If your institution is not yet a TFS subscriber institution,
why not request your administrator subscribe. Just forward this TFS
Institutional Order Form to her or him. Then you'll soon have access to
the entire e-library of teaching improvement and success ideas 24-7.
Would You Help? Be recognized and help improve teaching by sharing your favorite teaching tip. For immediate consideration, email your Tip of 200 words or less to Jack Shrawder, t4s@thegrid.net. for immediate consideration. Please share the TFS Success Tips Sign Up Link with Your Colleagues. http://www.teachingforsuccess.com/ |
TeachingForSuccess.com
Jack H. Shrawder, Executive
Director, TFS Faculty Success Center
530-307-8549
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