Hard to decide
Many times I find it hard to engage a student when their desire is with another career focus and this was option 2 and not the primary focus. Therefore, retention has seemed to be a problem no matter how hard you try to keep them.
Students of all ages are the best way to get them focused in class. I let some of there older students explain why they choose this now instead of where they were
I agree with the problem that it is hard to keep a student focused if they are interested in another career. This is especially true when parents push their students into a career they do not want. Sometimes I can find a relationship in what they are studing and what they want to be. I teach nursing so the student could get into infomatics, medical illustration, counceling, marketing - there are alternatives but you need to motivate and keep them engaged.
Engagement when the primary focus is another desire surley is difficult. When I run into this issue the way around it is to pick out the educational benefits which the student can take on to their chosen profession. For example: I have many students who would like to becomea a surgical technician, but has chosen to take the Medical Assisting program. The first thing I ask them is why would you take MA if you wanted sugical tech? The answer I often get is its seems likea stepping stone. So I build on their thought and help them pick out similarities that will keep them motivated through the program. This way it doesnt seem like a waste.
