Every
generation has an label: baby boomers, generation x, generation y, and now
generation z (not to mentioning all previous generations). With each generation
the elders inevitably comment on how the generation currently in school lacks
[important attribute] and [other important attribute]; attributes that the
elder generation had aplenty.
I
was reminded of this generational perception when I was reading an article by
an anonymous writer for Inside Higher Ed about teaching students who seem unengaged. In my
experience, many students in higher education can appear unengaged when they
attend class. In addition to seeming unengaged they often lack, according to
some instructors; creativity, critical thinking skills, and are interested in
non-academic topics more than the subject at hand. I will come back to my own
experiences and perceptions later but before I go any further I have to ask;
how does this author, because of where she teaches, have unengaged students?
According
to her bio, her current job is at a prestigious
British university and will soon head back to an elite research institution in
the United States. If she teaches at institutions that can be described as
prestigious and elite, how in the world are her students unengaged; how do they
lack critical thinking skills; and how can they not analyze information or
think independently?
One
problem that instructors face when they teach undergraduate courses is they do
not understand their students. Instructors at the college level are highly
intelligent people who have dedicated a portion, or a large portion of their
lives to academic studies and are anywhere from ten to fifty years removed from
being an undergraduate. In addition, some instructors just do not care about
the daily lives of their students and the myriad of issues that young adult,
and older adult learners face.
When
teaching instructors need to take into consideration many factors that relate
to engagement (each of these need to be considered on an individual basis).
Does the student like the content of your course? Is the course relevant to
their degree? Did the student get a good night sleep? Did the student have a
good meal? Does the student have health problems? Does the student have
personal problems? Does the student have any extracurricular activities that is
diverting their attention? The list can go on and on.
When
I was a teaching assistant and visiting lecturer at a large research
institution for several lower division music electives most students did not
care about my courses; they just wanted to get their three-credits and move on.
I do not fault them for not caring, my course was one of forty in their
undergraduate degrees and although I was teaching music, a subject most people
like, history and survey courses can still be perceived as dull.
To
counter unengaged students I have one piece of advice; be authentic.
When
teaching, always communicate your passion to your students; this needs to be
done every time you are with them. Do not rely on your pedigree or how many
books or articles you have written to impress; live in the moment and be part
of their lives. Most of your students will respond if you actively take an
interest in their lives and offer help and encouragement throughout the
duration of the course.
Simple advice that some instructors either forget or do not follow. If you choose not to be authentic or care about your students then your students will not care about you.
