4
Dec
2009
The Difference Between Telling and Imparting
Ever been in a classroom where you just cannot keep your eyes open? We all have. Mine was American history my sophomore year of undergrad (Spring 2002). No matter how much sleep I got or how fast I chugged that Coke, I couldn’t stay focused. Two things about this struck me: first, I love history and school. I feel lost without school and I am always eager to learn. Second, other students were crashing too. Eventually, the huge lecture class dwindled to fifteen alternating attendees, until test day, when the auditorium would fill up again.
Why was this? Were we all just poor students? We weren’t engaged. The instructor would walk up to the middle of the stage, pull his textbook out of his bag, and proceed to read aloud the chapters we were to read for this class session.
There was only one class where I was strangely awake. He was asking questions, and we were answering, discussing, and, low and behold, learning.
Engage them. Discuss. Activities. Scenarios. Something!
10
Apr
2008
The Sometimes Overlooked
I recently joined the campus rec center. I go during the lunch hour. This is unusual for me to be out of my office. I only leave my den usually for a meeting or some other mandatory event. My point being is that this lunchtime activity gets me out of the office during the middle of the day and I can walk at a casual pace (I’m always 5 minutes behind, so I typically rush everywhere). During my casual walks, I am able to look around and listen to what is going on around me.
Working on a medium sized university campus with the majority being the traditional 18 – 22 student. But, is even the “traditional student” traditional? No. During my walks over the past week, I have overheard some conversations – the majority being one sided (cell phones). As first, I tried not to listen, but this week, I am beginning to realize that this ‘listening’ could actually help me and my students. I have learned that some students are homesick, others don’t want to leave college – ever. I heard one student talk about not having a job after school. Another with such conviction said that he didn’t want to be a bad father and he was sorry.
They’re not just high school kids. They are individual students with real problems. Regardless of how emo, offbeat, in vogue or straight (aka ‘I’m okay’) they want to be, they are alike, but also very different. As administrators, educators and the general public, we need to embrace this! Millennials, although receiving a bad rap by some, are very diverse, aware and capable. They may actually teach us something.
Education has become, and will remain, a staple. Students also have choices when it comes to universities and colleges. Now that the largest high school class in history is preparing to graduate, what will higher education do for next year’s class? Simple. We need to address the issues, traits, and overall individuality that comes with every student. If our goal is for the student, then admissions and retention will just fall in place.
