What do you do when your student doesn't want to be there
There are those student who come along and you know they either 1. didn't want to start the programbut their parents forced them to do it, 2. are doing it with a friend or sister, or 3. just didn't know what else to do and this seemed like a good idea.
How do you try and reach them and get them to care about the profession?
I encourage each of my students individually. I also share my story and let them know how hard it was before I had a college education and how my life has changed since I furthered my education.
You encourage them and try your best to creatively teach the student.
@VTRN
Hi, I'm a Medical Assistant Instructor. I start my program with an introduction on who I am, where I've been and my life experiences relating to my profession. I ask the students to write a letter to me, telling me why they chose the profession of Medical Assisting. What brought you here? Where do you see yourself working? What motivates you? It's surprising how much they share with me. I tell them, this is for my own eyes, just between me and you. You can share as much as you like. I then keep these stories. I read them. Make comments on them and when I see the student struggling through out their program, I pull out this letter and remind them why they chose to embark on this journey. It's not easy and you just have to take it one day at a time. It's amazing how much confidence they build when they are reminded of how they started. As a teacher, we have to be reminded everyday why we do this. We have to believe in the students, even when they don't believe in themselves.
I try to speak with them individually and see if there is an underlying problem.
I try to really listen to why they are sharing. Sometimes they just want to vent because they are having a bad day. If necessary, I will share with them that I had the same feelings as a dental hygiene students. I was encouraged to just complete the semester I was in so I would have a few more units under my belt, and after that I could choose another path. Sometimes students are really in the wrong field. Most of the time, I think they just are feeling overwhelmed and with a little encouragement and maybe study, R & R habits, and exercise strategies, they get through it.
Reply to Kelly Hostetter's post:
Hi Kelly
Teaching needs to be customized for individual learners. Sharing relevant stories that are academic and come with a "moral of the story" are good to share. Motivating the students to learn is as important as teaching them skill sets. Mant students lose focus during a course and need reason to continue. These are the ones that need to be kept under a constant radar.
Regards
Javaid
Well; there are multiple reason and one of them is that thjey are forced to come to school. Unfortunately, it does not go far unless the teacher is really caring and has special skills to get their attention and make the point that the education is good for them in the long run for a better life. Once they get that, it is possible to involve different teaching strategies and keep them interested and graduate.
Regards
Javaid
Sometimes you need to dangle the carrot. How is graduating and obtaining your license going to change you and your family's lives? You can potentially make $50-60K a year. What are you doing and making now? Would a little financial stability help.
