Understanding Student Perspectives

From LiteracyTentWiki

Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2063] understanding where students are coming from...
From: jataylor_at_utk.edu

Hello all,
One last thought...

This question is for adult learners and learner leaders:

Will mentioned that Blast learner leaders have worked to help teachers understand where ABE students are coming from. Whether or not you're from Blast, what's one thing you could do to help teachers understand where students are coming from? In a nutshell, what would you do or say?

Thanks for your help,

Jackie

Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2065] Re: understanding where students are coming
From: Katrina Hinson

I think this is where "connecting" with the students is important. I try to tell other teachers when they ask "How do you do that?", that all I really do is treat my students like other human beings - treat them with respect and show concern as well as genuine interest in who they are as people and who they want to be. I try to remember student birthdays and if I don't remember they remind me :) - I try to make a point of singling out each student that comes in the door at some point - to spend individual time with each one during the day. Additionally, my students say that what they learn that's not "book" related but "life" related, is as valuable to them as anything else. As a class we often have discussions on issues that relate directly to the students' lives and depending on the students' backgrounds, they can be pretty intense at times. The students' are eagerly seeking advice and guidance in alot of cases where it's never been given and sometimes it's just about letting them have a sounding board, someone that will listen. All in all, I think that's what "connecting" with students means. Most of the time our students are coming from the same places some of us have been - we've all been young once and we've all made mistakes or thought we knew exactly what we were doing and usually had to find out the difficult way that we were off track. I try to tell my co-workers that our students are no different than we were/or are. They have the same desires and wants and concerns just like we do - from paying bills on time, to providing for our children, to trying to have a safe place to live. It's those things that are common ground for all of us.

Katrina Hinson

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