Teaching adult students is a rewarding experience as I have found them to be goal driven and motivated to learn something they can apply to their lives or careers. When they make an investment in a degree program it is usually done with an expectation that it will be of benefit for them in some manner, whether immediately or upon graduation. When I am engaged and highly involved in the class, students believe they are receiving something of value - and that motivates me to perform my best as an educator.
I know that it is natural for some students to lose interest in the course topics, discussions, or assignments over time. If I have established a good relationship with them, and I have been responsive to their requests and questions, I am able to help keep them engaged during times when they are not feeling highly enthusiastic. There are also going to instances when students struggle with aspects of the class that should seem self-explanatory or easy to understand. For example, I have watched students get sidelined with writing assignments when they simply cannot think of a starting point or topic to begin writing about, and then their academic writing skills are so under-developed they reach a point where the only option may be to completely give up.
When students reach this point, they may express "I can't" - either through their direct words or indirect actions. These students present a challenge for me as an educator; not for me to question my career choice, rather to challenge me to be a better educator and help these students succeed. I know this form of expression represents their frustration and there is an underlying issue that must be addressed. While I may never know the exact cause of the issue, I must try to help turn the phrase "I can't" into "I can" or at the very least, turn it into "I will try" and encourage them not to give up.
How Students Express "I Can't"
Students can express "I can't" in a number of ways without actually stating those words. Using a written assignment as an example, students have told me that what they submitted is the best they can do, they worked really hard and should have earned an "A" letter grade even though the requirements were barely met, and they put in the minimum effort needed because that is all they know how to do. In other words, they are stating they cannot do better because they either do not know how to perform better, they were not encouraged to do so, or they have performed in this manner long enough that it has become a matter of routine.
There are also other indirect methods that an "I can't" statement may be expressed. You can tell students have this mindset when their performance begins to decline with class discussions or assignments, you find mistakes are repeated even when helpful feedback has been provided to them, or they are starting to miss assignment deadlines. For any educator, it may be difficult to determine if the reason for any of these issues is a matter of "I can't" or "I won't" - or if there are any other underlying causes. What makes these situations even more challenging is that the students may not be very receptive or open to actually receiving help, once they have reached this level of frustration.
Regardless of the reasons, direct and indirect statements of this nature may actually be an expression of "I can't do better than this right now" - until someone helps them to "do" otherwise or encourages them change their frame of reference. You do not have to know the actual reasons why to be able to help your students; you only need to acknowledge they are struggling and then try to help them get back on track.
Consider Your Perspective as an Educator
Any time you have students who are no longer able to realize their full potential, and you sense a lack of resilience when they are faced with challenges, it may be helpful to first conduct an internal self-assessment of your own expectations. For example, you are familiar with the class discussions and assignments, and what should constitute a strong level of performance from your students. You have read responses and papers long enough to have formulated in your mind what constitutes marginal, acceptable, and outstanding work on the part of your students.
However, if you have been working with those same learning activities for a long time your personal tolerance level for what you consider to be subpar responses and papers may now be quite low. You may have reached a point that you expect all students to make an above average effort, which may not be possible for all students to achieve. For example, the best effort that a student puts in may only be an average discussion response or written paper. That is their best, until they learn how to perform better with time and practice. This is why it is helpful to re-examine your expectations to determine if you are expecting too much from students or helping them to reach their full potential.
Helping Students Develop an "I Can" Attitude
Whenever a student expresses "I can't" to you in some form, either directly or indirectly, you should begin with a diagnosis to determine if it is a matter of "I won't", "I don't know how", "I'm not sure where to begin", "I'm uncertain I can", I am unable to find resources", "I need help but I do not know how to ask for assistance". In other words, look beyond the initial statement or what you believe the reactionary condition may be to determine if the underlying cause can be ascertained as you can better assist the student when you address problems rather than symptoms. Whether or not you can learn about the underlying issue, you can still attempt to work with your students to help lessen their anxieties and change both their perspectives and outcomes.
Strategies to Assist Students: The most important starting for working with students who seem unable to complete a task or activity is to ensure you are approaching your response to them from a position of empathy and genuine concern for their academic well-being. They will be able to tell right away from the perceived tone of your voice, along with anything you post in an online classroom or send by email, whether you are going through the motions or truly care about them. Your attitude also determines the amount of effort you will put into trying to assist them, and how willing you will be to try to find solutions for them.
Immediate and Direct Contact: Often when I work with faculty, I recommend that they offer one-on-one contact with students and make the suggestion through an outreach method such as an email. However, when a student has reached a point where they are stuck - waiting for a reply and attempting to schedule a meeting can take time and further escalate their frustration.
My approach is to contact the student immediately by phone as most of my classes have been taught online. If I am unable to reach the student, I will leave a detailed message and provide times when I am available and make a genuine offer of assistance. I also add the student's name to my calendar to check on them again in two days, to ensure I have received a response and if not, I will continue my direct attempt.
Consider the Student's State of Mind: Whenever a student appears to be frustrated or they are unable to meet any of the course requirements, they are not going to have a positive frame of reference and it may extend towards you as their instructor. What I never want to do is to push back at the student or argue with them about the issue they are concerned about and instead, I will acknowledge their concerns as being valid and express interest in resolving them. Even if the reason why they cannot complete a task is invalid, there is something involved that has created a barrier and that is what I need to help remove. The more I can work with students, the more they will be willing to work with me.
Provide Assistance Immediately: Another helpful strategy that can make a difference for students is to provide assistance when you respond to students, rather than wait until you can speak with them. As an example, if I am providing feedback for a paper and I notice that the same errors are being made from week to week, and I have provided detailed feedback each week, I will write a personalized message with my notes to the student that includes a list of recommended resources and an offer to speak one-on-one. I can also utilize the same approach for an online class discussion, if I see a minimal response and it continues each week.
I can post a general announcement and offer tips and resources. I can also contact the student, request a time to speak with them, and ask for their feedback first about class discussions to gauge their perspective before I try to assess what I believe the issue might be. If they believe they are meeting the necessary requirements, I can discuss strategies for creating substantive and engaging posts. The purpose of these strategies is to be proactive and develop a connection with my students, which goes beyond just sending an email asking to speak with them.
It is not uncommon for students to experience sticking points as they progress through a course. If they are able to be resilient and persist on their own, they will figure out how to resolve any challenges encountered - sometimes with and without the help of their instructors. But when students remain stuck, and they cannot progress any further with a task or learning activity, that is when they are likely to express their inability to complete the requirements either directly or indirectly to their instructors.
As an educator, you always have a choice as to how you will approach these students. You may allow these students to continue and expect or hope they will figure it out on their own, you may demand compliance, or you may choose to empathize with them and provide assistance. Students will be more likely to discover their ability to resolve challenges experienced when they change their perspective about the learning process. This is something you have an ability to influence through any action or inaction taken when you discover they are struggling. Changing "I can't" to "I can" will take some effort, and I know that the work of an instructor already takes significant time; however, the end result for your students is a renewed sense of accomplishment, self-belief, and self-worth. This is one of the most important academic lessons any student can learn.
Dr. J has been working in the field of higher education and distance learning since 2005, with roles that have included Chief Academic Officer, online instructor, college instructor, and online faculty development specialist. Dr. J has also acquired significant experience with instructional design and curriculum development, having developed hundreds of online courses for bachelors, masters, and doctorate programs.
Dr. Bruce A. Johnson is a professional writer, resume writer, learning and development consultant, social media strategist, and career coach. Dr. J founded Afforded Quality Writing in 2003 and has written hundreds of resumes every year in most industries, utilizing a skill set based approach to highlight the best of each person's career.
Dr. J writes blog posts and articles to help inform, inspire, and empower readers. To learn more about the resources that are available for career and professional development from Dr. J please visit: http://www.drbruceajohnson.com/
By Dr. Bruce A. Johnson
Article Source: Do Your Students Say "I Can't"? Here's How to Help Them Say "I Can"
I know that it is natural for some students to lose interest in the course topics, discussions, or assignments over time. If I have established a good relationship with them, and I have been responsive to their requests and questions, I am able to help keep them engaged during times when they are not feeling highly enthusiastic. There are also going to instances when students struggle with aspects of the class that should seem self-explanatory or easy to understand. For example, I have watched students get sidelined with writing assignments when they simply cannot think of a starting point or topic to begin writing about, and then their academic writing skills are so under-developed they reach a point where the only option may be to completely give up.
When students reach this point, they may express "I can't" - either through their direct words or indirect actions. These students present a challenge for me as an educator; not for me to question my career choice, rather to challenge me to be a better educator and help these students succeed. I know this form of expression represents their frustration and there is an underlying issue that must be addressed. While I may never know the exact cause of the issue, I must try to help turn the phrase "I can't" into "I can" or at the very least, turn it into "I will try" and encourage them not to give up.
How Students Express "I Can't"
Students can express "I can't" in a number of ways without actually stating those words. Using a written assignment as an example, students have told me that what they submitted is the best they can do, they worked really hard and should have earned an "A" letter grade even though the requirements were barely met, and they put in the minimum effort needed because that is all they know how to do. In other words, they are stating they cannot do better because they either do not know how to perform better, they were not encouraged to do so, or they have performed in this manner long enough that it has become a matter of routine.
There are also other indirect methods that an "I can't" statement may be expressed. You can tell students have this mindset when their performance begins to decline with class discussions or assignments, you find mistakes are repeated even when helpful feedback has been provided to them, or they are starting to miss assignment deadlines. For any educator, it may be difficult to determine if the reason for any of these issues is a matter of "I can't" or "I won't" - or if there are any other underlying causes. What makes these situations even more challenging is that the students may not be very receptive or open to actually receiving help, once they have reached this level of frustration.
Regardless of the reasons, direct and indirect statements of this nature may actually be an expression of "I can't do better than this right now" - until someone helps them to "do" otherwise or encourages them change their frame of reference. You do not have to know the actual reasons why to be able to help your students; you only need to acknowledge they are struggling and then try to help them get back on track.
Consider Your Perspective as an Educator
Any time you have students who are no longer able to realize their full potential, and you sense a lack of resilience when they are faced with challenges, it may be helpful to first conduct an internal self-assessment of your own expectations. For example, you are familiar with the class discussions and assignments, and what should constitute a strong level of performance from your students. You have read responses and papers long enough to have formulated in your mind what constitutes marginal, acceptable, and outstanding work on the part of your students.
However, if you have been working with those same learning activities for a long time your personal tolerance level for what you consider to be subpar responses and papers may now be quite low. You may have reached a point that you expect all students to make an above average effort, which may not be possible for all students to achieve. For example, the best effort that a student puts in may only be an average discussion response or written paper. That is their best, until they learn how to perform better with time and practice. This is why it is helpful to re-examine your expectations to determine if you are expecting too much from students or helping them to reach their full potential.
Helping Students Develop an "I Can" Attitude
Whenever a student expresses "I can't" to you in some form, either directly or indirectly, you should begin with a diagnosis to determine if it is a matter of "I won't", "I don't know how", "I'm not sure where to begin", "I'm uncertain I can", I am unable to find resources", "I need help but I do not know how to ask for assistance". In other words, look beyond the initial statement or what you believe the reactionary condition may be to determine if the underlying cause can be ascertained as you can better assist the student when you address problems rather than symptoms. Whether or not you can learn about the underlying issue, you can still attempt to work with your students to help lessen their anxieties and change both their perspectives and outcomes.
Strategies to Assist Students: The most important starting for working with students who seem unable to complete a task or activity is to ensure you are approaching your response to them from a position of empathy and genuine concern for their academic well-being. They will be able to tell right away from the perceived tone of your voice, along with anything you post in an online classroom or send by email, whether you are going through the motions or truly care about them. Your attitude also determines the amount of effort you will put into trying to assist them, and how willing you will be to try to find solutions for them.
Immediate and Direct Contact: Often when I work with faculty, I recommend that they offer one-on-one contact with students and make the suggestion through an outreach method such as an email. However, when a student has reached a point where they are stuck - waiting for a reply and attempting to schedule a meeting can take time and further escalate their frustration.
My approach is to contact the student immediately by phone as most of my classes have been taught online. If I am unable to reach the student, I will leave a detailed message and provide times when I am available and make a genuine offer of assistance. I also add the student's name to my calendar to check on them again in two days, to ensure I have received a response and if not, I will continue my direct attempt.
Consider the Student's State of Mind: Whenever a student appears to be frustrated or they are unable to meet any of the course requirements, they are not going to have a positive frame of reference and it may extend towards you as their instructor. What I never want to do is to push back at the student or argue with them about the issue they are concerned about and instead, I will acknowledge their concerns as being valid and express interest in resolving them. Even if the reason why they cannot complete a task is invalid, there is something involved that has created a barrier and that is what I need to help remove. The more I can work with students, the more they will be willing to work with me.
Provide Assistance Immediately: Another helpful strategy that can make a difference for students is to provide assistance when you respond to students, rather than wait until you can speak with them. As an example, if I am providing feedback for a paper and I notice that the same errors are being made from week to week, and I have provided detailed feedback each week, I will write a personalized message with my notes to the student that includes a list of recommended resources and an offer to speak one-on-one. I can also utilize the same approach for an online class discussion, if I see a minimal response and it continues each week.
I can post a general announcement and offer tips and resources. I can also contact the student, request a time to speak with them, and ask for their feedback first about class discussions to gauge their perspective before I try to assess what I believe the issue might be. If they believe they are meeting the necessary requirements, I can discuss strategies for creating substantive and engaging posts. The purpose of these strategies is to be proactive and develop a connection with my students, which goes beyond just sending an email asking to speak with them.
It is not uncommon for students to experience sticking points as they progress through a course. If they are able to be resilient and persist on their own, they will figure out how to resolve any challenges encountered - sometimes with and without the help of their instructors. But when students remain stuck, and they cannot progress any further with a task or learning activity, that is when they are likely to express their inability to complete the requirements either directly or indirectly to their instructors.
As an educator, you always have a choice as to how you will approach these students. You may allow these students to continue and expect or hope they will figure it out on their own, you may demand compliance, or you may choose to empathize with them and provide assistance. Students will be more likely to discover their ability to resolve challenges experienced when they change their perspective about the learning process. This is something you have an ability to influence through any action or inaction taken when you discover they are struggling. Changing "I can't" to "I can" will take some effort, and I know that the work of an instructor already takes significant time; however, the end result for your students is a renewed sense of accomplishment, self-belief, and self-worth. This is one of the most important academic lessons any student can learn.
Dr. J has been working in the field of higher education and distance learning since 2005, with roles that have included Chief Academic Officer, online instructor, college instructor, and online faculty development specialist. Dr. J has also acquired significant experience with instructional design and curriculum development, having developed hundreds of online courses for bachelors, masters, and doctorate programs.
Dr. Bruce A. Johnson is a professional writer, resume writer, learning and development consultant, social media strategist, and career coach. Dr. J founded Afforded Quality Writing in 2003 and has written hundreds of resumes every year in most industries, utilizing a skill set based approach to highlight the best of each person's career.
Dr. J writes blog posts and articles to help inform, inspire, and empower readers. To learn more about the resources that are available for career and professional development from Dr. J please visit: http://www.drbruceajohnson.com/
By Dr. Bruce A. Johnson
Article Source: Do Your Students Say "I Can't"? Here's How to Help Them Say "I Can"
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