Problems Problems Problems!

This week's reading was highly relevant to the problems I have with some of my problem students. At the same time, as a former problem student myself, I can relate on several levels to the reading. Moreover, I feel as though the readings have given me some fantastic tools to address the issues I face with some of my students.

It all started about a week before the beginning of the semester. I was sitting in my living room watching the ten o'clock news when the story regarding the ELCA and their acceptance of homosexual pastors came on. I watched the story, and the interviews WDAY did with members of an ELCA church's congregation. One member who embraced it was a faculty member I met at orientation, the member who opposed it had a familiar name. Why was this name familiar? Then it hit me like a cement truck, it was a name I had uttered while practicing student names on the roster for my 8:00 class. As a comfortably "out" gay man, I was concerned of the potential conflict should the topic arise in class. Not that I planned on going into class and saying, "I'm your fabulous gay fundamentals of public speaking teacher" however, I don't plan on denying my identity should the question arise.

Much to my happiness the issue has never come up, but to my chagrin the individual is a problem student in ways I had never imagined. When I read the section in First Day to Final Grade on antagonistic students it seemed to ring true of this one student. He seems to always have something to say that runs counter to what I have to say. During my first meeting with the class he challenged the syllabus. Every class period since, he has had some objection to one aspect or another of the material I present. I try my hardest to explore what he has to say, make it relevant, and move on. I feel I now have tools with which to address him and hopefully not see the look of horror on my students' faces when he raises his hand.

The first time he really challenged me was during my first lecture on actual material from the text. I was honest with him and said I said I wasn't sure about his assertion, but would get back to the class on it. I managed to find a nice article that supported both our points of view and presented my findings to the class, making us both right. I even asked for his input in the matter and approached it as if I wanted his confirmation. After reading McKeachie's section on students who want the truth versus students who believe that everything is relative, I think I now realize part of the problem. I think this student views things in terms of being right or wrong. His belligerent rebuttal during his informative speech on the matter, and why he is ultimately right, tells me that he must think in this dualistic view.

As an instructor, I was appalled at the notion of a student not letting go. The class was equally disturbed as they kept looking back at me during his speech for fear that I may be offended. I didn't write a thing on the grading form (I thought feverish writing wouldn't look very good) and listened. I acted as if nothing unusual happened. I'm glad I took this approach because I think it isn't necessarily this student's fault, it is just how he sees the world. My overall goal for him individually is to get him to adopt the idea that multiple truths can exist. I fear that I may not be able to do this because he seems to fit McKeachie's "angry student".

I have written about this student before. When I handed back the first speech, he was the one who wouldn't even look at me. Clearly, he is both verbal, and non-verbal in his expression of anger during my course. I anticipate using the advice McKeachie gives in the text during the next speech which is in small groups. I plan on meeting with each group and asking them how things are going in their speech, then in the class overall. I hope this strategy alleviates some of the tension I have with this student. Although this student clearly is a problem I feel a sense of obligation to try to make the course enjoyable for him

Part of why I feel this obligation is the fact that I was a problem student myself, just of a different sort. I was what McKeachie would call a discouraged student. I felt much stress during my first semester as an undergraduate student, and didn't think college was the right choice for me. As I read the section I kept nodding my head and thinking about myself as the freshman that walked onto NDSU's campus nine years ago. I started with enthusiasm for the new environment and the opportunities it presented. As the semester wore on, about week three, I was feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned by the whole experience.

This disillusionment, and lack of enthusiasm for school caused me to be the "unprepared for class" problem student. Sadly, since my primary problem was being discouraged the issue of preparedness never was properly addressed. Since I was seldom prepared for class, it was rarely I would attend class. Then I became a student with excuses.

As I read the chapter and identified with multiple aspects of problem students, I think that they are interrelated. The student with excuses may be that way because they are discouraged students. I would often complement my instructors so that hopefully they would accept my recurrent excuses. I believe that the text has good insights for dealing with problem students, but should consider the potential interconnectedness of types of problem students. Clearly, they can stand on their own, but I think that by adopting a strategy of looking at a bigger picture of student motives and activity we can be better equipped to deal with these issues.

The tools provided in both texts seem to be useful. First, I like how First Day to Final Grade addressed excessive absences. I liked the two reasons why students miss class. I think that is highly relevant as I have been in both situations. As a student who formerly didn't really care about academic achievement because I felt discouraged, I fit the category of the student who didn't care. As a student who got fired from his job, evicted from his apartment, and found out his significant other of 2 years was cheating all in the same week, I have been the student who has had things go seriously wrong in his personal life. This section also rang true with the student in me. I wish the chapter had given more recommendations than just offering to let the student withdraw. My instructors at the university did far more than that for me.

Clearly, when I just didn't care, withdrawing from the class was my best option. It was an option I pursued often. I think that when students have serious personal issues, every attempt should be made to accommodate that student. I was completely disheartened when on top of my string of other misfortunes, I had to withdraw from all but one class. My class that I stayed in, the instructor let me dig my own grave by asking me what I thought would be appropriate to make up for the lost time. I think it is often easy to loose compassion when we deal with the number of illegitimate student excuses we get.

I really liked some of McKeachie's recommendations for dealing with students with excuses. I liked the idea of building in checkpoints for bigger assignments. Next semester I will be more stringent with my workdays and seeing student progress. This semester when instructors talked about obsessively checking student progress I thought it was a waste of time. After reading this chapter, and the volume of excuses I got for the first speech, I can see the value. One portion of excuses that I had a strong objection to was the part about offering extra credit for turning in an assignment early. Going back to my discussion in my last post on arbitrary extra credit and grade inflation, I think this is potentially very problematic.

In sum, this week was all about problems. As both readings pointed out we will all face problem students in our careers. I am glad that I have my perspective as a former problem student because I feel it is helpful for me when addressing some of the issues I confront as a teacher. Further, I feel that after completing this week's reading I now have some fantastic tools to address issues I face with my students.

Helpful Links:

Excuses excuses: This is a humorous look at the world of excuse making in academia. Although this piece is written in a satirical tone, I found it relevant to this week's reading, especially given the use of technology for communicating excuses.

Tough Problems:Difficult Students This web page contains a group project that is very well written and deals with problem students. The page cites an older edition of the McKeachie book, goes deeper in depth, and brings in other sources. I also found the appendices at the end very helpful in solidifying materials from the reading.

Teaching Non-Traditional Students This article does a good job at addressing changes in education and making good practical recommendations. Much of the material in the article is relevant to previous classes, but I found the bulk of the material relevant to our readings on student issues.