Maturity Levels
I found my biggest issue is the maturity level of the students and trying to get them to take responsibility for themselves when they've never had to in the past. What ideas do you have?
I find that trying to get the student to feel as though they are out working at their chosen profession helps with brings about some of their maturity. Once they realize that if I don't complete this assignment in the real world I won't have a job, they usually start coming around. Now, don't get me wrong, this doesn't work for everyone but for most it will help them get motivated to start working for what they want and earning it. Once they have earned something on their own, they feel a sense of accomplishment and want to keep on feeling that way.
I also try and get them to understand how in the career they have chosen not taking responsibility for their actions is unacceptable. I have a lot of inactive military students and have found that for the most part they are very good at taking responsibility for their actions, good or bad and I make sure to point this out to other students during the course.
THESE STUDENT MUST LEARN THAT THEY CAN'T JUST HIT A DELETE FUNCTION CONCERNING THEIR ACTIONS AND BEHAVIORS AND START ALL OVER. SOME MISTAKES DON'T COME WITH SECOND CHANCES IN LIFE.THEY WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE WORLD IN WHICH THEY MUST EXIST.I HAVE SEEN STUDENTS COMPLETE JUST ABOUT THEIR TOTAL DEGREE AND THEN GET ARRESTED FOR THINGS LIKE DRUG USE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,OR DUI AND MUST DROP FROM THE PROGRAM CHOICE BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER EMPLOYABLE IN SOME FIELDS...PAUL T. ROUGEMONT
I like to share my personal experience in this profession for 24 years and in life for 58. In the service oriented business that they are learning, it goes way beyong their technical skills. They can have all the technical skills in the world but if no one wants to be around them because of their looks, hygine or attitute they will not make it in this profession.
Gary,
this is a great idea & approach as it helps them realize that there are many things they can learn by listening to the voice of experience.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I often tell my students that by the time they graduate, they have received the education and skills to succeed in their chosen field, however many will be unemployed not due to lack of skills, but lack of professionalism. Though this might be directed at Gen Y, I have also seen a lack of professionalism in "X'ers" and "Boomers". Students often lack accountability until they make their first major mistake, then they either learn from it or drop out.
Deb,
this is a good point; the lack of professionalism is not limited or isolated to a particular generational cohort. And you are right that it is key for career success.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
In my full-time job I work as a probation supervisor. I have a PO that is a little young and new to the job. I realized he was a little immature and started to focus him in leadership roles. I have put him in charge of projects as a way to encourage professionalism. This PO has reacted well to this process. His fellow PO's have put the pressure on him in his leadership role to be more mature and responsible. I think the same can be done with students. If you see a student as immature and you allow that to be who they are they will use that as a crutch. If you treat them as a responsible adult, give them guidelines, tasks, leadership roles, etc, they will be encouraged to step-it-up so to speak. I have found this successful in online teaching with students and with people I supervise. Has anyone else tried this? Any success with it?
Part of what they need is an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. It's better for them to make them now, in a safe instructional environment where they can be helped along, than in their first job where the consequences could be dire. College has become a transitional space between a sheltered upbringing, and the real world.
Benjamin,
this is so true & too often they have not been exposed to their failures to they haven't learned the important lessons.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Gary, I agree. Sharing personal business and life experiences are effective tools. These students are in school for a reason. They have a life goal they are trying to achieve. Part of the education we are offering isn't just the knowledge and hard-skill sets, but the professionalism and soft-skill set they will need to be successful, not just employeed. This is sometimes hard for some students to understand ("the world conforms to them"). I just remind them that someone, who will be a lot like me, will be the person who hires you.
Maturity (and professionalism) is one of the issues I deal with in the courses I facilitate. My morning class contains a majority of under 20 year olds (with three just out of High school). Clearly they demonstrate they are products of their previous classroom environments.
My evening class is an older mixture from 19 to early 30’s. The main crux of the evening class is the military veterans using their benefits for an education and getting up to $1800 for living expenses. The maturity levels for both classes are not acceptable and have been a challenge for me. They are in an accelerated academic degree (Associates) but upon graduation may still not obtain employment in the criminal justice field.
Although I am a Gen Xer myself and can utilize technology to assist in the facilitation of the learning model, I have been frustrated with the lack of maturity that is an essential component in their career field.
In one instance to assist them in understanding the importance of professionalism, I started a class with the number 28,500 on the screen. After asking the class what that number meant, one of the students identified the number as the amount for tuition. I explained to them that they were correct and that THEY chose a career field that demanded maturity of its employees as it was a life or death consequence. I highlighted examples of their lack of maturity and professionalism both in the classroom and in the institution. I had them write a paper in APA format identifying what they expected from others in a professional environment (in the workplace and in the classroom) and what they themselves would expect of themselves in the same. I was very pleased with the results of self-reflection in the papers and the actual change in appearance in some of the students.
Jackie,
this is a great strategy & idea, as sometime that forced reflection is the best thing to bring them face to face with reality.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am a Chef Instructor, and I have had people from 18 years old to 82 years old in class, and I have found that by sharing my experiences in the industry it provokes a lot of discussion and questions especially from those that are serious about their profession. It is tougher with others though, and sometimes getting them to understand the value of professionalism especially in our industry can be a challenge.
Kenneth,
but what a great chance to share your real life experience so you aren't just talking theory but practicality.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I teach my culinary students to own their mistakes. I also let them know that they are in culinary school to make mistakes. It is more of a learning experience to make a mistake than to get it perfect the first time.
James,
this is a great point & one that all of us need to take to heart. No matter what generational cohort we are a part of, we must learn to own our mistakes & take that accountability.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
That's where our 'experience' comes in. I tell them about my experiences with clients in the field of web design, and they hear me because they come back to me days, weeks, months later saying I was right about something I sad in class about a client because it happened to them. These students may not have been mature in class, but they all do listen to what we say, but we may not know until a lot later ;)
Maturity comes with time.
