A Successful Return
I started teaching college students nine years ago in January, 2003. I was slightly terrified. I used to shake with nervousness so badly at the beginning of each class that I would rarely hold my lecture notes for fear students would see the pages tremble in my hands. I eventually out-grew this, but on occasion, I still do get butterflies when I have to explain a concept with which I have limited familiarity. Nonetheless, I enjoyed teaching: developing lectures, talking to students about social issues, interacting with students and watching them learn, and feeling part of an intellectual community. But, I was also a little lost. As many of you know, I was born into this world as a 40-year-old. I struggled to relate to traditional college students. I found many to be entitled, unmotivated, and disorganized in their approach to learning.
In 2006 I went to Bridgewater where I was hired to teach in a master's program. Here I discovered graduate students: motivated, obsessively concerned about school work and academic performance, attentive, active, dedicated, and prepared. I can't say enough how much I love our graduate students, ages ranging from 20's to 60's. I was finally comfortable teaching.
Six years passed and I decided to give undergraduates another chance. I was older, had more teaching experience, was more knowledgeable in my subject area, and had more realistic expectations. This past semester I taught an honors colloquium for undergraduates entitled, Death by Abuse or Neglect: Myth, Risk, and Response. I slowly learned how to relate to undergraduates. I sent them friendly email reminders throughout the week to be prepared for class to ensure a rich class discussion. I reminded them the day before we had class speakers to arrive prepared to be attentive and with good questions. I also bribed them with cookies and candy on occasion, too. When I saw that some of my students were recognized for their academic achievement on campus, I sent them individual emails congratulating them. When I caught them using their cell phones in class, I sent them personalized emails stating that I didn't want to embarrass them by "calling them out in front of their peers" and reminded them that I had a no cell phone policy, as stated in my syllabus.
Know what? It worked. I had a wonderful, small group of students who had excellent attendance and who were engaged and active contributors in class. I wouldn't even dare to guess what proportion of readings they actually completed, but, it was a success nevertheless. I had forgotten about some of the richness that comes from having a class mixed with history, math, psychology, and education majors. They bring new perspectives from their disciplinary and personal backgrounds. And, in the best of all possible worlds -- as far as I can tell -- they also enjoyed the class. Further, I'm pretty sure it will be a while before they forget about children dying at the hands of their parents and their enthusiastic professor who rattles off stories about the neglect and brutal treatment of children the way most people talk about prime-time television. With any shred of luck, they will remember the risk factors for what make children vulnerable for a maltreatment-related death and also share their knowledge with others.
Here's a picture of us on our last day of class today.
In 2006 I went to Bridgewater where I was hired to teach in a master's program. Here I discovered graduate students: motivated, obsessively concerned about school work and academic performance, attentive, active, dedicated, and prepared. I can't say enough how much I love our graduate students, ages ranging from 20's to 60's. I was finally comfortable teaching.
Six years passed and I decided to give undergraduates another chance. I was older, had more teaching experience, was more knowledgeable in my subject area, and had more realistic expectations. This past semester I taught an honors colloquium for undergraduates entitled, Death by Abuse or Neglect: Myth, Risk, and Response. I slowly learned how to relate to undergraduates. I sent them friendly email reminders throughout the week to be prepared for class to ensure a rich class discussion. I reminded them the day before we had class speakers to arrive prepared to be attentive and with good questions. I also bribed them with cookies and candy on occasion, too. When I saw that some of my students were recognized for their academic achievement on campus, I sent them individual emails congratulating them. When I caught them using their cell phones in class, I sent them personalized emails stating that I didn't want to embarrass them by "calling them out in front of their peers" and reminded them that I had a no cell phone policy, as stated in my syllabus.
Know what? It worked. I had a wonderful, small group of students who had excellent attendance and who were engaged and active contributors in class. I wouldn't even dare to guess what proportion of readings they actually completed, but, it was a success nevertheless. I had forgotten about some of the richness that comes from having a class mixed with history, math, psychology, and education majors. They bring new perspectives from their disciplinary and personal backgrounds. And, in the best of all possible worlds -- as far as I can tell -- they also enjoyed the class. Further, I'm pretty sure it will be a while before they forget about children dying at the hands of their parents and their enthusiastic professor who rattles off stories about the neglect and brutal treatment of children the way most people talk about prime-time television. With any shred of luck, they will remember the risk factors for what make children vulnerable for a maltreatment-related death and also share their knowledge with others.
Here's a picture of us on our last day of class today.
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