|
|
Four Simple Steps 1.
Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to ignorance (V. Ruggerio)
- Use academic, social and emotional miscues as opportunities to teach
important lessons
-
Many students are first generation and truly are
unfamiliar with higher education
-
Don’t make assumptions about students’ levels of
preparedness—model the outcome you want
-
Be intrusive—some of us don’t mature we simple grow
taller
2. Recognize the developmental nature of students’
growth and maturity –a bridge is needed from high school or the work world to
higher education (Ianni, A Search for Structure 1989). Model
classroom policies after work world policies—attendance, tardiness, late work:
-
Use revision as an integral part of your
teaching/learning process
-
Help develop metacognitive skills which are the skills
students’ use to monitor their own learning—to know when they are ok and when
they need help
-
Build relationships with students that can be used
to enhance your ability to guide them
3. View the setting and maintaining of the learning environment as playing a
key role in student learning:
-
Develop a community of learners
-
Set high expectations. As much as students complain about
hard work they prefer it to busy work or work that is not challenging.
-
Confront students that are not engaged in the learning
process. It is vital to demonstrate you are serious about the classroom being
a learning environment.
-
Remember we all like some variety. Even the best
motivational tools grow ineffective if used too often.
4. Remember the one who
does the talking does the learning (Sousa 1995):
- Be learner-centered. Learn as much as you can about your students as
a means on increasing your ability to connect your content to their
backgrounds.
- Use peer teaching, studying and editing
- Remind students that most learning happens
outside the classroom—it take multiple application and
interactions with information to learn it so it can be used again one month,
six months, and a year from now.
|
