A quick question for college students about encouragment

[Voltron87]

[ QUOTE ]
I think caring about their performance is awesome---but its your call, not your responsibility.

I like the wording of your note, sans the [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], because the last thing college kids in America need is more coddling. I hate to sound like a conservative jackass spouting off about individual responsibility, but in the academic realm its sorely lacking.

I think a short, curt note explaining that the current level is unacceptable is a step beyond what many will do, but a very fair gesture.

[/ QUOTE ]

i know what you mean, but that attitude only work when the student respects the teacher and the like. the student has to care what the teacher thinks and genuinely want to achieve, you cant just bully kids into it.

that said the grade inflation in this countrys schools is off the charts (im sure you know this), an A is fairly meaningless at most schools. even more meaningless in many grad schools.

[TheWorstPlayer]

Just add a line about this level of effort not bringing out the potential that you can see or whatever. Make it clear that you are confident that he can do well but he has to apply himself.

[MercTec]

This depends on the student more than anything else.

If I got a note when I was in school, it would certainly make me sit up and take notice, and I'd bust my ass.

At the same time I had friends in my major who just didnt give a damn about anything, major included, and would blow it off and just call you a dick to his buddies.

[thirddan]

if its possible (depending on class size, etc...) you should have this conversation with him in person...that will get across both the seriousness of the problem, but also make you seem like you actually care about this student (which you probably do)...plus, if he gets the note on his paper he may be quicker to disregard it than if you had approached him personally...

Im a senior in school and I would simply take this note in stride and just realize that this is not the class to do the work in 30 min as quick as possible so I can make specials at the bar. I dont think there is a problem with it at all.

[mslif]

I would have been mad at you because it almost sounds like you are being a smartass by saying "very sincerely,...". If you are going to be critical about my work, I do not need for you to write that.

I do not see anything wrong with your note except for that. Students should be able to accept negative critism without sugar coating.

[hobbsmann]

I'm teaching my first course this semester and figuring out the best ways to deal with problems such as the one presented above are very difficult. It is very dependent IMO, on the student and how they are going to respond to a blunt and candid statment about the work ethic needed. Probably as a general rule it is best to lay out something like this early on to both create a student/teacher separation as well as giving them motivation to work harder.

I'd say an alterative would be to schedule a meeting in which you tell them in person that more work is going to be required for them to pass this course.

[DMBFan23]

[ QUOTE ]
Suppose that you are taking a difficult course in your major field of study. The instructor hands back to you your first graded assignment with the following note.

Dear John,

You will need to invest more effort in this class if you want to succeed in it. The level of effort put into this solution set simply is not and will not be acceptable.

Very sincerely,

Jason.

How would it make you feel? Is there something the instructor could write that would encourage you? How about if I put a [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] at the end?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sup Jason,

I was always the type that a bad grade would make me feel shittier than anything else the TA/Prof could possibly write on top. However, I think I would rather hear that type of criticism in person, it just hits home more that way.

EDIT: I like RacersEdge and TheWorstPlayer's thoughts as well.

[ethan]

If this was on my homework, it'd probably be because it was accurate. I'd also probably be aware that I half-assed the assignment before I got it back, and would be expecting at least the bad grade if not the comments. I'd work harder on the next assignment, but that'd also be true for a bad grade and a "see me if you need help, you can do better."

I didn't do all that much teaching while I was in grad school, but I did a fair amount of grading/tutoring during undergrad. (The tutoring was basically TA office-hours, usually 4-5 students at a time, sometimes up to 10 or so.) This being the first assignment, I might opt for just giving them a bad grade and a note saying they should come see you if they're having trouble with the material. If it happens again, then I think you can start in with "this is unacceptable." I think this approach is less likely to end up with them resenting you.

Some people can handle criticism, and some people _really_ can't. I've tutored people who would break down crying when a problem gave them trouble.

[mmbt0ne]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
I think caring about their performance is awesome---but its your call, not your responsibility.

I like the wording of your note, sans the [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], because the last thing college kids in America need is more coddling. I hate to sound like a conservative jackass spouting off about individual responsibility, but in the academic realm its sorely lacking.

I think a short, curt note explaining that the current level is unacceptable is a step beyond what many will do, but a very fair gesture.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is very true.

The European/Russian professors I've had have all been much more like this, and it helped me so much more. It's not that they don't care about you succeeding, it's just that they aren't going to do you any favors if you aren't busting your ass. One of these guys was willing to meet with me twice a week outside class for however long it took for me to understand what we were doing because he knew that I really was trying. The kid in the back of the class who did nothing and had basically the same grade as me failed, I got a B.

The grades are always a lot lower in the classes these guys teach, but the learning experience is much better. I wish we could see this type of teaching philosophy spread across all the professors here, and someday seep down to HS and lower.