LETTING STUDENTS KNOW THEY ARE NOT INVISIBLE

(ESSAY 339)  I recently gave my first test of the semester.  My primary course (Intermediate Accounting II) is extremely complex so every test is a challenge for my students.  I have 71 students this semester so that was a lot of grading.  

My goal for this first test is usually that 50-60 percent of my students make an A or a B.  On this test, 70 percent made an A or a B so I was pleased.  The group had worked hard and seemed to have made excellent progress.

However, 15 percent of the students made a D and another 5 percent made a low C.  That’s a lot of poor work.  I always tell my students, “I will always take half of the credit if you do well, but I assume I deserve half of the blame if you do poorly.” 

Students who do poorly always seem to feel invisible.  “No one really knows or cares if I am struggling.”  I don’t want my students to feel that no one cares.  They still have 80 percent of their grades to be determined.  Nothing in my teaching is more pleasing than turning a D student into an A or B student.   (I probably take way too much credit for turning A students into A students.)

So, I wrote emails to each of the students who did poorly just to give them some advice and make sure they knew that I cared and that they were not invisible.  Each of the emails was somewhat different but below is one example of what I sent out.

The first two students I wrote, emailed me back almost immediately to thank me for touching base and for my recommendation.  It was almost as if they had been waiting for some encouragement.

**

To:  XX

From:  JH

As you know, you made a D on our first test in Accounting 302.  I do not know how you did in Accounting 301, and I do not know what your grade point average is so I'm not sure whether you just had a bad day or whether I should be worried about your grade in 302.  It is important to remember that Test One was only 20 percent of your overall grade, but it was 20 percent and should not be ignored.  You can do better, but we need to get started. 

I'd really like to see improvement over that 69.   I'm not sure but I don't think you've been to my office to ask any questions or seek any assistance this semester.  Always remember that is why I have office hours.  I'm more than happy to help.   You don’t need an appointment, just show up during my office hours.

In addition, I want to recommend that you contact Roger Mancastroppa (he is copied here) who is the Associate Director of our Academic Skills Center.  I suggest that you make an appointment with him to chat about ways that you can improve your learning skills and especially your testing skills.  This is not a requirement.  I just think it might be beneficial.  You seem to work hard, but we need better test results and that needs to happen on Test Two. 

I think one visit (or maybe more) might be a good investment as we look toward making a serious improvement in the remaining 80 percent of the course grade.

If you want to chat about my suggestion, come by and see me.

**

And as I have mentioned previously, in case you are interested, you can watch my 12 minute TEDxYouth@RVA talk about transformative education at:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G20tup61ZxI&t=1s

And, my book on Transformative Education is available as a free download at:

 

https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/375/

 

 

THE DECISIVE MOMENT

 

Professional photographers sometimes talk about the “decisive moment.”   It is that one essential point in time when the photo needs to be taken to capture the true essence of the events that are taking place and the people that are involved.   

I strongly believe that there are decisive moments in teaching and learning.   If you make the most of those decisive moments, the students can learn much and learn deeply.   If you miss those moments, learning becomes more of a superficial affair.

One such moment is immediately after the first test of the semester.   It is still early.   There is still plenty of time to make great things happen.   However, the students are all unsure as to whether they are doing enough to satisfy the teacher’s expectations. 

If the first test is complex without being unfair, the teacher will have caught the students’ attention.   “This is the kind of learning that I want from you.”   Making that clear is so very important.   Make sure the students know what you are looking for from them.

Students, though, are often confused.   They have had dozens of teachers over the years who taught in a variety of ways and with a wide range of expectations.   They will not necessarily respond to the first test as you want.   Some, for example, might be overwhelmed and have the tendency to simply give up.   Others may cast around aimlessly trying to figure out what they should be doing differently.   They need GUIDANCE.   That is where a teacher can create miracles.   Provide that guidance.

In my Financial Accounting class, I gave my first test last week.   Roughly half the students made an A or B with the rest making lower grades.   Obviously, it was the lower half that I wanted to address.   I didn’t want to lose them or discourage them.   I just wanted to guide them so they could do better.

I wrote them the following email.

 

To: Accounting 201 Students

From: JH

You will get your first test back today. As is always the case, some people will be happy/thrilled/excited. Some people will be less than happy.

If you are unhappy, the question you should ask of yourself is “what should I do differently?”

I’m not sure what happens to smart students in high school but they often arrive in my class believing there are short cuts to learning, tricks that enable good grades to be made with less effort. Nah, I think that is a fairy story.

Here are some things that you might consider. I know these will not all apply to everyone but a few of these might apply to you.

1 – Procrastination is the biggest enemy you have. Students (humans) put off work until the last possible moment and then hurry through the work in a rushed manner. Then, the work is not high quality. Don’t procrastinate on your class preparation. Do it as early as possible and take the time to do it right. This would be my number one recommendation (and probably my number two and three recommendation also). I occasionally walk around the room before class and notice your notes. It is surprising how often a student will have a list of our questions sitting there followed by one or two words. To myself I think, this is a student who is preparing like he really wants to make a D. Jotting down a couple of words is not preparation. Make a conscious decision to become the best prepared student in class.

2 – Read the book. Few students actually read the book. They might skim the book looking for answers to a question but they never sit down and read the book so they miss the entire thought process. Each chapter will take 60-90 minutes. The chapters are written to open the world of business to you. You should find a comfortable chair each week and actually have the self-discipline to read the chapter. You are not looking for random answers. You are looking to understand the material. That comes from actual reading and not just random skimming.

3 – Watch the opening video for the chapter and the closing video. I made those to point you toward what is really important. That will save you time and help you focus on the big stuff.

4 – I send out problems on a regular basis and put answers on my door (and occasionally make a video). You should work those immediately and, if you don’t understand the answer, come see me as soon as possible. Missing a question and then not seeking a better understanding is the kiss of death at test time.

5 – One of my top junior students comes to my office three times each week with a list of questions. Those questions come from class, from the reading, from the homework. She never leaves the office until she is comfortable that she understands. She is a tenacious student which is my favorite kind. Is it a coincidence that she is also one of the top students? Of course not. She should be your role model.

6 – I have suggested that you study together, especially in the 30 minutes or so before class. I occasionally watch those dynamics. Often, it is one student talking and the other 8 students writing down what that student says. That is not studying together. That is a waste of time (except for the one student talking). Studying is when everyone exchanges ideas and thoughts. Be very careful. It is easy to think “I sat with those other students for 30 minutes studying.” Were you really studying or just taking notes of what someone else said?

7 – I am a big believer that life is simply a game of trial and error. You’ve had a test. A pretty good percentage of the class did quite well. If you did not do so well, what did they do that you did not? You are not a robot. You can change. Make adjustments. You have plenty of time to make an A in this course but you have to learn from this first test.

Just a final note. Reading this list and doing these things are two different things. Pick a few and do them.