Giving Students an Extra Push
Do your students believe that you are a "tough" instructor, or would they describe you as someone who is fair? How would you answer that question about your approach to teaching? If you consider yourself to be a tough instructor, do you take the position that you are challenging students to do their very best? Students come to your class with a desire to learn and they have a perceived idea of how the process will occur, depending upon their prior academic experience. Some students may believe that knowledge is given and others view it as something that is acquired. Some students may believe that grades are given and others know that they are earned. Because every instructor has a unique approach to classroom facilitation students begin to develop a generalization about what they can expect when they start a new class. Your interactions with them will either agree with or conflict with what they believe. Regardless of what students perceive it is important to help students do their best. There is a time when taking a firm approach is necessary, giving students an extra push as a means of helping them progress.
As students take classes and move through their degree program they develop a routine that involves utilizing a certain set of skills that they become comfortable with and rely upon. When you provide feedback or interact with your students you may discover that they have a capacity to learn more and perform at a higher cognitive level. As you increase their awareness of this potential you may also find that these students need additional skills, new skills, or improvement in their existing skill sets. Telling students to do better may not be enough. You may need to show students that they are capable of developmental progress by helping them find resources, tools and techniques that make this possible. This is the time when students may feel that you are being tough or that you are pushing them out of their comfort zone.
When you decide that some students need an extra push it becomes a challenge for them and your classroom facilitation. For the student, they may experience fear, frustration, or a sense of being singled out. As their instructor, you are challenged to find methods of facilitation that overcome their concerns and initial resistance. This often means adapting the feedback provided, considering the effectiveness of classroom interactions, and developing new methods of building strong and effective working relationships. There is a difference between being tough to help students excel and being strict to prove superiority. Being firm with students for the purpose of developmental growth may have an end result that includes watching them become a better writer or researcher. On the other hand, taking a firm position with students to demand their compliance will only further their resistance and it will likely derail your attempts.
If you decide to be a tough instructor, remember the importance of also being fair and supportive. Be a mentor and a guide to your students. You have an ability to be a support system for your students through a caring attitude and a genuine interest in helping them improve their performance and develop their skill sets. You can also demonstrate your belief in them by being responsive to their needs and thanking them for their effort. You are likely to transform their perception of being tough when they reach a point where they realize what they have learned and how they have progressed as a student. Sometimes an extra push can lead the way for academic growth and enhanced performance.
As students take classes and move through their degree program they develop a routine that involves utilizing a certain set of skills that they become comfortable with and rely upon. When you provide feedback or interact with your students you may discover that they have a capacity to learn more and perform at a higher cognitive level. As you increase their awareness of this potential you may also find that these students need additional skills, new skills, or improvement in their existing skill sets. Telling students to do better may not be enough. You may need to show students that they are capable of developmental progress by helping them find resources, tools and techniques that make this possible. This is the time when students may feel that you are being tough or that you are pushing them out of their comfort zone.
When you decide that some students need an extra push it becomes a challenge for them and your classroom facilitation. For the student, they may experience fear, frustration, or a sense of being singled out. As their instructor, you are challenged to find methods of facilitation that overcome their concerns and initial resistance. This often means adapting the feedback provided, considering the effectiveness of classroom interactions, and developing new methods of building strong and effective working relationships. There is a difference between being tough to help students excel and being strict to prove superiority. Being firm with students for the purpose of developmental growth may have an end result that includes watching them become a better writer or researcher. On the other hand, taking a firm position with students to demand their compliance will only further their resistance and it will likely derail your attempts.
If you decide to be a tough instructor, remember the importance of also being fair and supportive. Be a mentor and a guide to your students. You have an ability to be a support system for your students through a caring attitude and a genuine interest in helping them improve their performance and develop their skill sets. You can also demonstrate your belief in them by being responsive to their needs and thanking them for their effort. You are likely to transform their perception of being tough when they reach a point where they realize what they have learned and how they have progressed as a student. Sometimes an extra push can lead the way for academic growth and enhanced performance.
