Have you ever felt that you've failed your students?
By milfea
@milfea (519)
Philippines
November 24, 2007 1:28am CST
I have felt this, not only once, but a couple of times already.
I have been teaching college kids for five years already. Through all those years I have thought of ways on how to make every subject that I'm teaching to be interesting to them. But it will usually turn out that I am the only one who is excited about everything that the course covers. I have tried every single technique that I know just to lure the students into taking interest of the concepts and the principles. Whenever tests are given to them, more than 50% of the class barely reaches the passing mark. I'm not sure if the exams I'm making are too hard, or, they just didn't learn anything at all. Of course there are a handful of students who are interested and who marks exceptionally high in some of their tests. These are the students that inspire me to go on and find more ways to become effective in my chosen career. But whenever i see the stats of the failing students, it just breaks my heart. I feel like I'm not doing everything, that my effort is not enough though I have already exhausted everything just to become effective.
I'm sorry guys, I just need to pour this out. I'm not sure is today's generation of students are that interested with learning rather than just getting a "degree" for their name's sake, or am I just a failure?
Any suggestion in making the students interested? Anything would be very welcome.
5 responses
@Ann2407 (305)
• China
24 Nov 07
i used to be a college student,and very luck that i never fail a course in my college,it is not because i love all of the course i took,but just because i study hard when the test coming.Actually,i often skip the boring classes,i hate the boring class,imagining that you need to bare a boring class lasting for 120 mins,what a pity!
maybe you can find a good way to teach you students,which most of them are interested on,youths are all thirst to the great knowledge,but you need to find a way to lure them into the hall of the knowledge. you are a responsible teacher,and hope you can obtain the feeling of success in your teaching.Waiting for your good new!And nice to know you. milfea
@milfea (519)
• Philippines
28 Nov 07
Hey there Ann2407. :)
Thank you for the encouragement. I'm trying new ways every now and then, and I think one of it is working pretty well. I'll tell you about it later because for now it's still in progress. I am very sure you'll be amused with what I'm into to lure my students to knowledge. :)
Thanks again. It's nice to meet you here in mylot. :)
@niushuang (265)
• China
27 Nov 07
Hi,my friend,i have the same feeling like you.I am a teacher too,i have been teaching senior school for 3 years.During the work i have the same touble that how to attract my students.I have no idea to deal with the students when they say in the class.It's so boring.
@milfea (519)
• Philippines
28 Nov 07
Hi Niushuang. :)
I think we have a lot to learn from Drannhh. Try reading what had been posted by Drannhh, it really makes a lot of sense. You know what, I think it would be helpful if we can have a forum about this online, so we can share problems about teaching and come up with a solution to such problems. What do you think?
I am trying new "tricks." I'll let you know whichever works.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
26 Nov 07
Another college teacher, great! Well, we recently retired, and you are just starting out, but surely you know there has been a world-wide decline in literacy in effect for many years now. It does get to a person after a while. Just try to realize that if you get through to just one person you are doing great. You cannot compete with television and cell phones for entertainment, so the only solution is to somehow make the students see that they need education to make their lives better. Is there some way that achieving skills or and understanding of your subject matter can increase their self-esteem? Most of the students nowadays are just pitifully lacking in self-esteem. Even at the college level, they often act out in a desperate attempt to get attention. If there is a way they can get recognition for excelling rather than for being goof-offs, that is the route to take. Good luck and whatever to do, don't let it get you down. Good luck!
@milfea (519)
• Philippines
28 Nov 07
Hello Drannhh!
Thank you oh so much for such valuable suggestion. I have never given much thought to what you just wrote before. You are so right that many of these students might just have trouble with themselves. It's so weird that since high school until college I have always been a peer counselor, but I why in the world have I not thought about the self esteem issue?
Thank you, thank you, thank you...
I'll be working on it, and I'll let you know what happens. I thank God for you. :)
@docramie (4)
• United States
26 Nov 07
I guess we are all feeling this way, and I think it's even worst for the high school teachers. How many of them cannot pass the exit exams from high school? How many of them go off to college and not finish? This generation of students do not want to read, do maths, write or think for themselves. The only thing is to play fighting games on the computers, games that are with lots of violence and blood.
One response is that teachers are not teaching them. They would like teachers to spoon feed them with questions and answers, which is going back to them not wanting to read or try. As a business education teacher, I have the students work on projects in which research is done on the computers and incorporate activities to start a business. Many of them like hands-on activities relating it to life experiences.
Please do not knock yourself down. It's happening everywhere.
