Career choice & learning style mismatch
As someone who has taught in the paralegal program of two career colleges, I think I have perceived a problem. Many students who come to career colleges are NOT written word learners; yet the legal field is all about the written word. In the PL program (for profit school)we are often pushed to increase retention. Yet, if students are not written word people, the law may be the wrong place for them. What to do?
I completely agree, Mimi! I think this should be addressed with the admissions process. I liked the idea of a learning assessment for students when they enroll. If a student is interested in a field that requires a certain type of learning, but they aren't proficient in that style, we should be able to have that discussion in the beginning so they can make an informed decision regarding what they are getting into. The burden of retention then wouldn't fall quite so heavily on the instructors. The admissions department should work with the students to determine their best career choice based not only on their interests but also on their aptitudes and abilities.
Hi Carolyn - Thanks for your post to the forum! Knowing what learning skills challenges that our students have in advance also assists faculty in preparing to help those students. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I agree with you Mimi. Career colleges are fabulous institutions and serve a large population of students very well. However, like you, I often see students mismatched with their major. I have stopped struggling with retaining those students and instead encourage them to see other strengths that would more easily fit in other programs. Sometimes career college students choose their path based on whether there are good jobs or good salaries instead of where they can thrive. It is a problem.
As an instructor, when I see a student struggling such as you describe, I will sit down with them and discuss what I am seeing. I feel it is better to have a conversation and talk about their strengths and weaknesses proactively rather than watching them struggle and possibly fail. They may discover they need to switch programs, which is preferable to dropping out.
Hi Kathy - Thanks for your post to the forum. You are obviously a very caring and empathetic teacher! Ethically, we owe it to our students to counsel them in order to find what is best for them. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
