Get Your Students Hired
After many years of instruction, I have found that in order for my students to be successful, they have to overcome the fear of failure. Henry Ford said, "Failure is just an opportunity to start over more intelligently." I believe that many students quit because they are afraid of failure. When they realize that mistakes are not only acceptable but a necessary part of learning, they begin to feel more confident and less likely to feel inadequate in comparison to their peers.
I agree. It can be a lot of stress for students to deal with. They get frustrated and quit. As instructors we need to encourage and guide them through.
FERDINAND, are you able to identify these students before the process begins? Would it be possible to be proactive and address these issues before they become problems?
I couldn't agree more, Gary. In my many years of teaching, I've met many students who are afraid to fail. Between family, job and school, they are more prone to letting go of the school. Once they realized that there are many tests to take, assigments to complete and research/report to do, they immediately panic and feel they cannot possibly do these. However, through careful guidance by the instructor/s and helping them realized that these tasks are not made to set them up for failure, they will somehow change their attitude towards these tasks. Furthermore, it helps to explain to them that sometimes failure is inevitable but could serve as a "learning process" to teach them how to overcome this.
Ferdinand
I deal with each student individually. Getting an understanding of their backgrounds and culture helps to understand that individual's problems. As a result, the techniques do vary based on demographics.
Shanika, how do you address the fear of failure among different demographic groups? Do the techniques vary by demographic?
I agree. I feel that once students believe that they can succeed, they tend to do better in the classroom. The fear of failure is very high amongst some demographics of students.
Tammy, the fear of success concept is used in the context of "if I succeed (graduate) I am confronted with a much scarier next chapter". If I master this step, I will be expected to take the next one, and I can avoid that possible future failure by failing now.
After only eight months of teaching, I greatly appreciate this opportunity to network and investigate methods for student success with other experienced educators. I have practiced my chosen profession for thirty four years and participated as a licensing board exam administrator for twenty years. I have had plenty of opportunity to see the paralyzing effects of fear. I do not believe that any "one failure" has to be the defining word in someone's life. The fear of failure is an enemy we all must overcome. I found the concept of "the fear of success" mentioned in this module something I would like to explore further. Would anyone like to elaborate on the fear of success?
Bethany, are they perfectionists or fear being embarrassed in front of their peers; or worse just not motivated enough to expand their skill set?
I am finishing up my first year of higher ed teaching. I have always had a love for encouraging people in general so I didn't think it would be a big difference in the school setting. The hardest part, I have found, is this topic. Getting the student to step out on a limb and take a step of faith to try something out of their comfort zone. So many of them are perfectionist, that even just stepping out tends to build their ability to believe they can do it. I have pleasure of spending 3 hrs a week one on one with 4 students at a time. During this time frame, I really make it my goal to get to know them as a person and discover what makes them tick. How bad do they want the goal they are setting out to obtain. Some students haven't thought it through and some have that image in the for front of their mind. When I notice they start getting down on themselves during class, I gently remind them of the reason they are here and that all things are possible. Even the and uncomfortable.
Nicole, why do you think they view a "C" as a failure? What can be done to change that thinking?
Lou, do you present this idea to your students? For some, it will be a foreign concept and may take some time/experience to digest.
I completely agree with your post. I have seen many students ready to give up because they did not get that "A" or "B" in class. They feel that a "C" is a failure and that they are not smart enough to continue with school.
I agree that I've learned more from my mistakes and mistakes of others than any other way. I prefer learning through others mistakes than my own. However, many prefer learning through their own mistakes and some never really learn from their past. So, I believe that one has to be ready and receptive to learning from failure. Otherwise, it just compounds their feeling of negativism about themselves and their opportunities. For these, a change has to occur in their thought process. Changing a mindset is difficult for most; especially, those who have been entrenched with negative thoughts from an early age.
Interesting how different people respond to the evaluation process. Ultimately, it really comes down to their ability to use their skills on the job.
Cathy, do you find that the students readily use the resources you supply or do they require monitoring/prodding to get them started down the right path?
By explaining to students how their grades are a reflection of their knowledge and skills within a particular course will help those who don't care about grades to understand the consequences later in their career. However, those students who overstress about their grades need to learn ways to put them in perspective and not waste unnecessary energy worrying about a B or C occassionally.
Many of my students have dropped because of unavoidable circumstances. I have a list of resources available for transportaion, housing, childcare issues to provide resources to the students that would drop out otherwise.With a little support and some available resources they usually hang in to complete the program.
Robin, do you find that you have to use different cheerleading techniques for different personality types?