Get Your Students Hired
Regina, what an incredible story and really hits on the importance of positive construction and focusing on changing a student's self talk. Dr. Joe Pace from The Pacific Institution teaches his students in his faculty development courses that it takes 11 positives to make for for a single negative. This goes to show the power of Negative Talk and Negative Self-Talk and why it is critical that we as instructors find positive ways to provide feedback to our students. They have enough negatives in their lives and we just need to focus on all things positive and as much as possible. Thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
I had a student that no one ever told him that they were proud of him for anything. So sad, that at 30 something years no one had ever told him that. He was almost in tears when I told that I was proud of him because he had accomplished he work.
Marlene, great comments and yes this transition is remarkable when you can witness it firsthand. Thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
The greatest reward is to see how an student would change during the course, from been insecure to been secure and confidents on their abilities , by showing them their potential
I agree. After demonstrating the technique to the students, I have them practice it. During their practice in making a béchamel sauce, for example, I walk around and coach them. Meaning that I reinforce the technique by asking them questions or going over the steps as they are making the sauce.
Vance, great topic and I love that you point out to your students the power of self-talk. How we perceive of ourselves is as important as any class we take or any level of effort we put into the learning process. The more we know the further we go is so true but the better we feel about ourselves also plays a role in how much we feel we CAN know. Building small wins into the curriculum is key towards building confidence within our students and with the course materials. If your course is designed to weed students out then most likely that design will perform its designed task. However if maximum success is the goal then you need to look at what steps have been taken within the lesson plan to build in the critical small learning steps that build confidence.
James Jackson
I frequently have participants in my classes who refer to themselves as "C" students. I use this as an opportunity to teach about what the meaning of "self talk" as it pertains to self perception, habits and performance.
Tim, great reminder to all of us in the Career College sector that there are reasons for institutions such as ours. Just as there is a place for those institutions that focus on weeding out students that may not be at the top of the curve, there is also an important spot for Career Colleges where passion and hard work can pay great dividends to those students who are willing to take some time and work with faculty that care about them and their outcomes. The approach may be different but the level of success is just as exciting.
James Jackson
Jenna, great point. In fact I find it important to remind students that the most advanced scientific leaders of any time frame were certain beyond any doubt that their view of the universe was the correct one and history tells us a great story that each new generation just finds the facts of yesterday NOT to always be the truths of today. Science is about the pursuit of knowledge but only a fool things they have the absolute answer to anything until it is 100% accepted over the generations of peer review and scientific methodology. For example, we have known now for years that there is a force called gravity and we know it basic behaviors. We are finding out still today however that under various types of conditions the laws of gravity are not as constant as we once believed. Fascinating stuff and provides for great conversations on both sides of the religion versus evolution issue.
James Jackson
We work primarily with nontraditional students, a large majority of whom are adults who have not been successful at school in the past. Often when students come to tell me about their first accomplishment, they are excited, but the way they talk about their success often shows that they don't fully connect themselves with it ... they attribute it to instructors or people who helped them, or play it down like it was nothing. My favorite thing about teaching is to remind people to be proud of their hard work and the success that comes from it. I hope that if they hear and repeat this often enough, it can help to change that mindset that they are not a successful student.
I really love that approach. Getting everyone to realize they are all on the same journey and their feelings they are having is also shared, just not being verbalized. Brining it out and letting the instructor say it may help decrease anxiety which in turn should increase success.
One must not forget what it was like to be a college student, especially in those first semesters so many years ago. I was one who suffered from self doubt as a young college student, despite the fact that I received a full-tuition paid scholarship for my first two years of study. Therefore, I can identify with students suffering from the same. My goal, especially in those initial classes, is to set my students' mind at ease. I encourage them with the thought that all professionals have to start somewhere - there is always a first step toward any career goal. I also affirm that the course that I teach will be well paced and that they will not be overwhelmed if they attend, pay attention, and complete the assignments. Whenever I hear self doubt, I calmly suggest that others have felt like they do, but with persistence, a student can overcome their self appointed obstacles. I encourage as much as possible and never "put-down" my students. That is the way I was treated as a young college student, and it worked!
I have had students that did have not had the best success in conventional schools. This created a lack of confidence in their ability. I have had positive results from reminding them the are doing this because of a passion they have for the industry, opposed to subjects that were required for high school etc. Then positive reinforcement that they can achieve the results they desire, and will be able to develop the skills to do so.
I had one student who was a little rough around the edges, and she did not think that she would succeed in college due to her ADA issues. I was there to support her and encourage her to succeed. This student is now graduating with honors. All it took was a few words of encouragement and guidance.
I see students overcoming self-doubt every day, and it is such a beautiful thing! I teach the class that goes along with their clinical rotations. Last week, a student went out on her first day of rotation and called me so upset and stressed out. She said she didn't feel like she belonged there and wasn't "good enough". During the next class, we watched a video about not only "faking it until you make it" but "faking it until you BECOME it." She came up to me after class and told me she couldn't wait to go back to her clinical rotation site. Sure enough, the next evening, she called me and told me how much she loved it there and thanked me for helping her see things differently.
It's interesting the various ways student's can express self-doubt. Some are obviously nervous, other’s become a “teacher’s pet,†some act uninterested and others are full of bluster. When you don’t take those actions at face value, and spend a little time getting to know each student, the insecurity and self-doubt will often reveal itself. I also find the more I set expectations up immediately; with clear objectives, samples of what’s expected, and what would not be acceptable, outline policies and guidelines and provide clear rubrics with each assignment before grading, the more that assists in at least easing self doubt by the students. Still, sometimes one on one interaction and personal reassurances are needed in addition to that. I do find though, one of the most powerful deterrents of self-doubt is clear, helpful expectations from the beginning, combined with a warm, friendly but professional approach.
Do you find setting clear expectations at the beginning to help ease self-doubt in your students?
One of my most interesting teaching experiences in an adult classroom was in Physical Anthropology. Many students lost motivation for the class material based on their religious beliefs and the conflict between bible studies and evolution. I found that incorporating their religious views into the classroom (allowing for discussions) and presenting work by scientists that postulate dual existence of god and science was useful in motivating these students and lowering self-doubt that they cannot learn scientific material because it conflicts with religious beliefs.
shelly, great topic. We as humans tend to fear that which we do not know. We also tend to not like to perform in front of a crowd. Both of these situations take place in a clinical setting so as an instructor it is critical to set the stage so students feel safe and where they can learn from their mistakes. The more comfortable students feel the more they will learn.
James Jackson
I teach in a clinical setting in which technical skill sets are demonstrated,learned and practiced. However, students often doubt their clinical skill sets and fear they will never have the ability to practice as dental healthcare providers. I find that consistant and constant positive reinforcment in ANY small abilities help students to discover their potential and motivate them to move forward successfully.
Robert, what takes place three weeks later? Is there a specific lesson plan that takes place at that time or is this just the ramp-up time it takes for students to begin to grasp your subject? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson