Get Your Students Hired
Thank you Matthew McKinney for inspiring me to think about this particular topic. You mentioned the importance of being sensitive to older students as a young teacher (which happens to me my case).
I would like to raise a similar point which involves young teachers teaching young students. I started teaching at the earliest possible legal age of 21. I was teaching secondary students who ranged in age from 15 to 19. Obviously, this was a bit awkward. On several occasions I had the guys inviting me to keg parties and the girls flirting with me. Furthermore, being 21 and still in college, sometimes I might be seen in public after a party in not-so-good condition. And you can only imagine the concerns that the parents had.
So how do young teachers handle young learners? I found it to be very difficult, not only because of the age similarity, but also since it was my first year as a teacher. I felt the need to be an authority figure; I accomplished this by dumping tons of time into my lesson planning, thus making very authentic- and credible-looking lessons. I also tried to act more mature than I actually was, which turned out to be a failed tactic.
In the end the strategy that worked best for me was to simply identify with the students. I was careful not to get to close with them, but at the same time, I let myself come down to their level to a certain extent. Most of them eventually started to see me more as an older-brother type of role model instead of a formal instructor. They thought, "Wow, if I study hard and focus, I can be in *COLLEGE* just like him in only three years!"
Then there were the hecklers. "Hey, Mr. Richter, how old are you anyway?" I would calmly answer, "I'm older than fifteen and younger than thirty-five." That usually answered the question. Then they would ask, "Hey, Mr. R., do you have a GIRLFRIEND?" And I would calmly respond, "Maybe yes, maybe no." And that usually answered their question. The only really awkward question that got me was from a homosexual student who once openly hit on me in front of the entire class. That was a tough one! So the message here is that, as a proactive teacher, one can anticipate some of the likely questions that may come from students. In this sense you can think ahead about how you might handle the answers, thus poising yourself for a clam response instead of an embarrassing blunder.
I'm now 29 years of age and still teaching. I currently have a wide age range of students and no longer see age as a factor in terms of my comfort level in teaching.
Thoughts...?
William,
I complement you for the balance you have found in working with your students. You are earning their respect while giving them the instruction they need to be successful. As a learning leader you are helping them move toward the goals they have for their careers. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I am in this exact position at my college. Most of my students are within my "age group" and I spend a significant amount of time with them in class (~20hrs/wk) so it is very difficult to separate our relationship as instructor/student from peer/peer. I tend to go back to my experience in the field (16 yrs -- I am 26), the fact that I am "seasoned" and have put the time in to this profession to consider taking on teaching in the first place. I have to make sure they get the experiences that I believe are critical to their success and also give them access to the tools that I use to help bolster the courses I teach. They don't know how old I really am, they just know that I am 'older than 15 and younger than 35.'
Most of the students recognize me as that big brother, their #1 cheerleader, and #1 fan. The way they have come to respect me is my accessibility and sensitivity to their needs and feedback. I am very humble in that I do not claim to know everything about everything, and explain that fact on day 1; they will ask questions I can't answer, but we will find the answer together and learn from it.
Andrew,
Great advice for new instructors. Thank you for sharing these comments with us.
Gary
I have seeen a few younger instructors fail, as they set the bar too high, and pushed too hard to establish their own credibility. Rather than earn the respect of their class, they came across as unapproachable know-it-alls.
Setting high standards is important, as is a thorough understanding of your subject matter. The trick is to do it in a way that appeals to your class, rather than turning them against you.
I look younger than I am and students do become more respectful if they learn my true age. They often never do learn my true age and I earn their respect by knowing my course information supremely and setting high standards that I make my students and myself deliver on.
I have seen many young teachers fail because of their immaturity and failure to gain the respect of the class.
I agree with Karen. I was injured in a car accident which caused me to no longer pursue my chosen career. When I applied for this position, I was unawre how many students there would be that were older than myself. They may not have had more knowledge about this particular field than I do, but when it came to their overall experiences, they definitely had years on me and it felt intimidating. We actually end up overall understanding more because we are learning from each other instead of just a one-way transaction.
Hi Al,
Good observation. Confidence and expertise are two very important components that instructors need to bring to the classroom. The more the students can observe these two traits the greater their respect will be for that instructor.
Gary
I started teaching about 13 years ago and have found that students tend to buy into what I have to say more quickly the longer I've been doing this due to the fact they feel with age I've gotten more experience under my belt. I teach culinary arts and have had observed some students frustrated with young instructors as they dont have the industry knowledge to be able to apply to the classroom that someone with 25 years experience in the industry may have. I agree in some industries field experience may not be as important as in other industries and the way the instructor relates this to the students can have a big impact on how its perceived.
I strongly agree with David, the longer I have been teaching the better it gets with students close to or older than myself.
Hi Sarah,
I like your attitude and understanding of the role you have as an educator. Congratulations on your ability to impact the lives of your students in their pursuit of career success.
Gary
I find myself in the same position! I am younger than many of my students who are career changers, and older than the ones whom have just graduated high school. Once upon a time it intimidated me, but once I reminded myself that I held the knowledge they were seeking I found my groove and now class is a blast!
Hi Shawn,
You have described the instructor student respect issue dead on as it applies to being younger in the classroom. The key as you mentioned is your ability. By demonstrating your competence you were able to establish yourself as an authority so students of all ages were willing to listen. Well done.
Gary
I have noticed that myself. I started teaching young. I was 26 when I started teaching, and looked much younger. It was interesting trying to build that level of respect that seems to be built in for our elders.
Older students were more accepting and would let you show what you know before they judged you.
Younger students though would challenge me at times because they figured they would know better. And it would take longer to build up that respect be taken seriously.
I found that once I could prove myself via lectures and lab -- especially if they needed my help to complete projects, that things settled down. But it was rocky at times to start.
Hi Christian,
Thanks for sharing your experiences in working with older students. As you have demonstrated it is possible to not only engage them but also help them to see how they can be successful in their studies. This is good advice for new instructors to use as they start their teaching careers.
Gary
I also agree with Karen. I went from teaching undergraduate university students in my early 20s (which was awkward at times but I was able to spin it to my advantage) to teaching at a career college in my mid 20s (where more than half of the students were my age or older). Older students, I find, have been a lot more serious about learning, and I've been able to use my youth as an advantage to make the learning process seem more "cool" for the younger students at the same time. Although there are some awkward moments, with more time and experience in dealing with diverse groups of students it becomes more of a non-issue.
Hi Dennis,
I think you are right and that is why younger instructors need to work at earning the respect of their older students while establishing rapport with them. This will result in a professional relationship that benefits everyone.
Gary
I think that older students are hesitant in younger instructors because the younger instructors do not have the tenure of either a didactic or clinical subject.
Hi Gina,
Well said. I agree with your stance on setting the bar high in relation to the standards of the industry. When schools set the bar low and students go out into the field unprepared or under prepared it is unfair to both the students and their employers.
With the extensive and diverse field experience you have your are right about bringing to the classroom and lab the "real deal" in terms of knowing what you are teaching about. Sounds like you have an excellent understanding of what you are trying to do with your students while they are in your classes. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I completely agree. Though I am only 41 (and frankly look younger), I have 26 years cooking in the restaurant industry. When I convey this to my students, they immediately stop wondering if this petite 5'4" "girl" can really lead the class, and begin to believe in my leadership. Trust me, by the end of the first week, there is no doubt left at all. I use my in-field experience as the guide, and it makes them excited to perform at a challenging level. By raising the bar and holding them to industry standards (not just institute standards) they begin to get a taste for what the future holds. I think the students really respect our experience in the field, and overlook differences of age, etc. if they know you are the real McCoy.