Overcoming Student Discouragement
Tonight I've been puzzling over how best to help my students (Introduction to Psychology) learn more effectively. At this point, almost everyone in my class seems to want to do well, but many are not well prepared for college level work. They sincerely want to improve their lives via a college education, and it is a shock when they get test grades in my class.
As in any group, there are unique versions of needs for study skill improvement. Some students have been laid off in the downturned economy and are aiming to change careers. Some struggle to understand abstract concepts. Some don't grasp all the vocabulary and are not accustomed to grabbing a dictionary for help. Some procrastinate. Some work and raise families and have little time for study. Some tell me they need hands on learning activities. Many are of the first generation in their families to attend college. Others are immigrants struggling with English as a second language. In this class, I have one tenth grader and a few middled aged adults as well as a group of traditional college-age students.
My message today as I went over the grading procedure in more detail was, "Don't give up. Hang in there and attendance and the term paper will likely help to pull test scores up for the final average."
If you stick with this class, show up and do the work to the best of your ability, you are likely to surprise yourself with results. My philosophy is that test scores are not the only way to measure learning. Participation, self-reflection papers and the self-nurturing project/critical thinking term paper are all ways to demonstrate learning of many of the principles we are studying -- in a more hands on way.
Your persistence will pay off in other ways. You'll work hard in this class, but you will apply the learning to your own life. You'll discover the value of choosing education as a priority and letting go of some other activities so you can dig in and do the learning. You may actually find your own best new methods of studying. You will internalize ideas that will serve you for a lifetime, helping you to understand yourself and others.
Keep turning the pages, keep making notes. Stay awake in class. Be present physically and mentally. Ask questions. Take care of yourself. Use everything for your learning and growth!
As in any group, there are unique versions of needs for study skill improvement. Some students have been laid off in the downturned economy and are aiming to change careers. Some struggle to understand abstract concepts. Some don't grasp all the vocabulary and are not accustomed to grabbing a dictionary for help. Some procrastinate. Some work and raise families and have little time for study. Some tell me they need hands on learning activities. Many are of the first generation in their families to attend college. Others are immigrants struggling with English as a second language. In this class, I have one tenth grader and a few middled aged adults as well as a group of traditional college-age students.
My message today as I went over the grading procedure in more detail was, "Don't give up. Hang in there and attendance and the term paper will likely help to pull test scores up for the final average."
If you stick with this class, show up and do the work to the best of your ability, you are likely to surprise yourself with results. My philosophy is that test scores are not the only way to measure learning. Participation, self-reflection papers and the self-nurturing project/critical thinking term paper are all ways to demonstrate learning of many of the principles we are studying -- in a more hands on way.
Your persistence will pay off in other ways. You'll work hard in this class, but you will apply the learning to your own life. You'll discover the value of choosing education as a priority and letting go of some other activities so you can dig in and do the learning. You may actually find your own best new methods of studying. You will internalize ideas that will serve you for a lifetime, helping you to understand yourself and others.
Keep turning the pages, keep making notes. Stay awake in class. Be present physically and mentally. Ask questions. Take care of yourself. Use everything for your learning and growth!
Labels: college class, don't give up, effective learning, hang in there, improve grades, learning and growing, overcoming student discouragement, psychology class, study habits, study skills, test scores
posted by Ilenya Marrin, DSS @ 9:46 PM
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