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What to tell students who want to know how to succeed in your class
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Setting is math in the US.
It's quite common for a student who is not doing super well or is worried that they might not be to approach me and ask how they should be studying/what they should be doing do succeed in the class.
I never know what to say. I just don't see it as part of my job to give "study skills" advice and probably won't be able to say anything particularly apposite (especially because I was educated in a completely different system in Europe, so I have no first-hand experience of taking the kinds of classes they are taking). Also, I think developing your own study skills that work for you it literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate.
But they still feel like, as the professor for the class, I ought to be able to tell them something extra and useful about studying.
What is a good way to deal with these sorts of requests for advice?
teaching students office-hours
asked 1 hour ago
T_M
1,04524
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Setting is math in the US.
It's quite common for a student who is not doing super well or is worried that they might not be to approach me and ask how they should be studying/what they should be doing do succeed in the class.
I never know what to say. I just don't see it as part of my job to give "study skills" advice and probably won't be able to say anything particularly apposite (especially because I was educated in a completely different system in Europe, so I have no first-hand experience of taking the kinds of classes they are taking). Also, I think developing your own study skills that work for you it literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate.
But they still feel like, as the professor for the class, I ought to be able to tell them something extra and useful about studying.
What is a good way to deal with these sorts of requests for advice?
teaching students office-hours
asked 1 hour ago
T_M
1,04524
3
You don't view it as part of your job as teacher to teach your students how to succeed at your class?
– Najib Idrissi
1 hour ago
Doesn't your lecture include some kind of weekly tutorials where students have to solve math problems to practice their skills and understanding of the material? If yes, refering them to this would be one thing you could do.
– problemofficer
1 hour ago
I just tell my students to practice - that's rhe real way to succeed.
– Sean Roberson
1 hour ago
1
For undergraduates the school probably has centers and programs to train basic skills, which you can refer students to.
– A Simple Algorithm
48 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Setting is math in the US.
It's quite common for a student who is not doing super well or is worried that they might not be to approach me and ask how they should be studying/what they should be doing do succeed in the class.
I never know what to say. I just don't see it as part of my job to give "study skills" advice and probably won't be able to say anything particularly apposite (especially because I was educated in a completely different system in Europe, so I have no first-hand experience of taking the kinds of classes they are taking). Also, I think developing your own study skills that work for you it literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate.
But they still feel like, as the professor for the class, I ought to be able to tell them something extra and useful about studying.
What is a good way to deal with these sorts of requests for advice?
teaching students office-hours
asked 1 hour ago
T_M
1,04524
Setting is math in the US.
It's quite common for a student who is not doing super well or is worried that they might not be to approach me and ask how they should be studying/what they should be doing do succeed in the class.
I never know what to say. I just don't see it as part of my job to give "study skills" advice and probably won't be able to say anything particularly apposite (especially because I was educated in a completely different system in Europe, so I have no first-hand experience of taking the kinds of classes they are taking). Also, I think developing your own study skills that work for you it literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate.
But they still feel like, as the professor for the class, I ought to be able to tell them something extra and useful about studying.
What is a good way to deal with these sorts of requests for advice?
teaching students office-hours
teaching students office-hours
asked 1 hour ago
T_M
1,04524
asked 1 hour ago
T_M
1,04524
asked 1 hour ago
T_M
1,04524
asked 1 hour ago
T_M
1,04524
asked 1 hour ago
T_M
1,04524
1,04524
3
You don't view it as part of your job as teacher to teach your students how to succeed at your class?
– Najib Idrissi
1 hour ago
Doesn't your lecture include some kind of weekly tutorials where students have to solve math problems to practice their skills and understanding of the material? If yes, refering them to this would be one thing you could do.
– problemofficer
1 hour ago
I just tell my students to practice - that's rhe real way to succeed.
– Sean Roberson
1 hour ago
1
For undergraduates the school probably has centers and programs to train basic skills, which you can refer students to.
– A Simple Algorithm
48 mins ago
add a comment |Â
3
You don't view it as part of your job as teacher to teach your students how to succeed at your class?
– Najib Idrissi
1 hour ago
Doesn't your lecture include some kind of weekly tutorials where students have to solve math problems to practice their skills and understanding of the material? If yes, refering them to this would be one thing you could do.
– problemofficer
1 hour ago
I just tell my students to practice - that's rhe real way to succeed.
– Sean Roberson
1 hour ago
1
For undergraduates the school probably has centers and programs to train basic skills, which you can refer students to.
– A Simple Algorithm
48 mins ago
3
3
You don't view it as part of your job as teacher to teach your students how to succeed at your class?
– Najib Idrissi
1 hour ago
You don't view it as part of your job as teacher to teach your students how to succeed at your class?
– Najib Idrissi
1 hour ago
Doesn't your lecture include some kind of weekly tutorials where students have to solve math problems to practice their skills and understanding of the material? If yes, refering them to this would be one thing you could do.
– problemofficer
1 hour ago
Doesn't your lecture include some kind of weekly tutorials where students have to solve math problems to practice their skills and understanding of the material? If yes, refering them to this would be one thing you could do.
– problemofficer
1 hour ago
I just tell my students to practice - that's rhe real way to succeed.
– Sean Roberson
1 hour ago
I just tell my students to practice - that's rhe real way to succeed.
– Sean Roberson
1 hour ago
1
1
For undergraduates the school probably has centers and programs to train basic skills, which you can refer students to.
– A Simple Algorithm
48 mins ago
For undergraduates the school probably has centers and programs to train basic skills, which you can refer students to.
– A Simple Algorithm
48 mins ago
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
Actually, in the US, in modern times, it really is your job to help them develop study skills. Many students arrive at college with hardly any skills at all, having coasted through their previous education, often with few learning burdens put on them. Many don't know how to take notes, or summarize them, or separate the important points from the rest.
More important, in math, they may not have an attitude that it may take more than the minimum to get by and that memorization isn't going to carry them very far.
I've discussed the teaching of learning skills here in other answers, so won't repeat it (search: Hipster PDA, for example).
But there are two things that might work. The first is to require more practice and make sure that students have some way to get feedback on that practice. A text book usually has more exercises than you want to require, but you can suggest that more (even all) be done. You can even hand out supplementary problems that are graded or not.
The second thing is to have a daily quiz, taking up the first 5 minutes of your class. Ask questions based on the previous few lectures (2 or 3, say). The quizzes don't need to count much toward the grade, but should count for something. Students can swap papers and grade each other for a short quiz, so your load doesn't need to increase. But an additional advantage of this, other than the goad, is that you get feedback every day on how they are doing.
I can't say that the students will love you for this, of course. They will likely grumble. But you will learn who most needs your help and it won't be much of a burden on those who don't need additional work to succeed.
I once became something of an expert on rational functions and could look at a definition and pretty much know what the shape of the graph would be. I learned this by graphing hundreds of them, by hand (1960s) using derivative information.
answered 1 hour ago
Buffy
21.7k668122
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
It is certainly part of your job. You say:
developing your own study skills that work for you is literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate
This may be true, but the point is that some students need help doing that. If a student came to you with a math question, you couldn't very well say "learning math is part of the challenge of being a math student" and send them on their way.
I'm not saying you need to hold their hand through mundane organizational details, but broadly speaking, how to spend one's time effectively is both a crucial component of success and a common point of confusion for undergraduate math students.
Anyway, when students come to your office worried about their grade, the first step is to diagnose the problem. Look at their graded work and talk to them about where they are getting confused. You may find there are specific gaps in their background knowledge. (If the gaps are large enough, you may determine that this student shouldn't be in your class at all.) Or you may find that the student isn't working through enough problems on their own. Or they are blindly working through problems without trying to understand the underlying concepts or what the questions are asking. Or some particular key concepts aren't clicking. Or they understand things well, but they have testing anxiety. Tailor your advice accordingly.
Of course, this all requires the student to meet you halfway. In my experience, the problem is often gaps in background knowledge and unwillingness to put in enough time. Then, the right advice boils down to "put more time in on the course material and put in extra time brushing up on prerequisites," which goes unheeded most of the time, but at least you've tried.
answered 43 mins ago
user37208
11.5k32438
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The students who are asking you this probably already know the general study skills advice. What they're trying to find out is what you think is important, how you're going to assess them, and how much time (realistically) it should take to prepare for class. Many professors tend to be rather opaque about all of this, which students find frustrating. It's particularly frustrating if the student has many other demands on their time, such as a job or family responsibilities, which is much less frequently the case at European schools.
answered 13 mins ago
Elizabeth Henning
5,11111031
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
Actually, in the US, in modern times, it really is your job to help them develop study skills. Many students arrive at college with hardly any skills at all, having coasted through their previous education, often with few learning burdens put on them. Many don't know how to take notes, or summarize them, or separate the important points from the rest.
More important, in math, they may not have an attitude that it may take more than the minimum to get by and that memorization isn't going to carry them very far.
I've discussed the teaching of learning skills here in other answers, so won't repeat it (search: Hipster PDA, for example).
But there are two things that might work. The first is to require more practice and make sure that students have some way to get feedback on that practice. A text book usually has more exercises than you want to require, but you can suggest that more (even all) be done. You can even hand out supplementary problems that are graded or not.
The second thing is to have a daily quiz, taking up the first 5 minutes of your class. Ask questions based on the previous few lectures (2 or 3, say). The quizzes don't need to count much toward the grade, but should count for something. Students can swap papers and grade each other for a short quiz, so your load doesn't need to increase. But an additional advantage of this, other than the goad, is that you get feedback every day on how they are doing.
I can't say that the students will love you for this, of course. They will likely grumble. But you will learn who most needs your help and it won't be much of a burden on those who don't need additional work to succeed.
I once became something of an expert on rational functions and could look at a definition and pretty much know what the shape of the graph would be. I learned this by graphing hundreds of them, by hand (1960s) using derivative information.
answered 1 hour ago
Buffy
21.7k668122
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
Actually, in the US, in modern times, it really is your job to help them develop study skills. Many students arrive at college with hardly any skills at all, having coasted through their previous education, often with few learning burdens put on them. Many don't know how to take notes, or summarize them, or separate the important points from the rest.
More important, in math, they may not have an attitude that it may take more than the minimum to get by and that memorization isn't going to carry them very far.
I've discussed the teaching of learning skills here in other answers, so won't repeat it (search: Hipster PDA, for example).
But there are two things that might work. The first is to require more practice and make sure that students have some way to get feedback on that practice. A text book usually has more exercises than you want to require, but you can suggest that more (even all) be done. You can even hand out supplementary problems that are graded or not.
The second thing is to have a daily quiz, taking up the first 5 minutes of your class. Ask questions based on the previous few lectures (2 or 3, say). The quizzes don't need to count much toward the grade, but should count for something. Students can swap papers and grade each other for a short quiz, so your load doesn't need to increase. But an additional advantage of this, other than the goad, is that you get feedback every day on how they are doing.
I can't say that the students will love you for this, of course. They will likely grumble. But you will learn who most needs your help and it won't be much of a burden on those who don't need additional work to succeed.
I once became something of an expert on rational functions and could look at a definition and pretty much know what the shape of the graph would be. I learned this by graphing hundreds of them, by hand (1960s) using derivative information.
answered 1 hour ago
Buffy
21.7k668122
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
Actually, in the US, in modern times, it really is your job to help them develop study skills. Many students arrive at college with hardly any skills at all, having coasted through their previous education, often with few learning burdens put on them. Many don't know how to take notes, or summarize them, or separate the important points from the rest.
More important, in math, they may not have an attitude that it may take more than the minimum to get by and that memorization isn't going to carry them very far.
I've discussed the teaching of learning skills here in other answers, so won't repeat it (search: Hipster PDA, for example).
But there are two things that might work. The first is to require more practice and make sure that students have some way to get feedback on that practice. A text book usually has more exercises than you want to require, but you can suggest that more (even all) be done. You can even hand out supplementary problems that are graded or not.
The second thing is to have a daily quiz, taking up the first 5 minutes of your class. Ask questions based on the previous few lectures (2 or 3, say). The quizzes don't need to count much toward the grade, but should count for something. Students can swap papers and grade each other for a short quiz, so your load doesn't need to increase. But an additional advantage of this, other than the goad, is that you get feedback every day on how they are doing.
I can't say that the students will love you for this, of course. They will likely grumble. But you will learn who most needs your help and it won't be much of a burden on those who don't need additional work to succeed.
I once became something of an expert on rational functions and could look at a definition and pretty much know what the shape of the graph would be. I learned this by graphing hundreds of them, by hand (1960s) using derivative information.
answered 1 hour ago
Buffy
21.7k668122
Actually, in the US, in modern times, it really is your job to help them develop study skills. Many students arrive at college with hardly any skills at all, having coasted through their previous education, often with few learning burdens put on them. Many don't know how to take notes, or summarize them, or separate the important points from the rest.
More important, in math, they may not have an attitude that it may take more than the minimum to get by and that memorization isn't going to carry them very far.
I've discussed the teaching of learning skills here in other answers, so won't repeat it (search: Hipster PDA, for example).
But there are two things that might work. The first is to require more practice and make sure that students have some way to get feedback on that practice. A text book usually has more exercises than you want to require, but you can suggest that more (even all) be done. You can even hand out supplementary problems that are graded or not.
The second thing is to have a daily quiz, taking up the first 5 minutes of your class. Ask questions based on the previous few lectures (2 or 3, say). The quizzes don't need to count much toward the grade, but should count for something. Students can swap papers and grade each other for a short quiz, so your load doesn't need to increase. But an additional advantage of this, other than the goad, is that you get feedback every day on how they are doing.
I can't say that the students will love you for this, of course. They will likely grumble. But you will learn who most needs your help and it won't be much of a burden on those who don't need additional work to succeed.
I once became something of an expert on rational functions and could look at a definition and pretty much know what the shape of the graph would be. I learned this by graphing hundreds of them, by hand (1960s) using derivative information.
answered 1 hour ago
Buffy
21.7k668122
answered 1 hour ago
Buffy
21.7k668122
answered 1 hour ago
Buffy
21.7k668122
answered 1 hour ago
Buffy
21.7k668122
21.7k668122
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
It is certainly part of your job. You say:
developing your own study skills that work for you is literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate
This may be true, but the point is that some students need help doing that. If a student came to you with a math question, you couldn't very well say "learning math is part of the challenge of being a math student" and send them on their way.
I'm not saying you need to hold their hand through mundane organizational details, but broadly speaking, how to spend one's time effectively is both a crucial component of success and a common point of confusion for undergraduate math students.
Anyway, when students come to your office worried about their grade, the first step is to diagnose the problem. Look at their graded work and talk to them about where they are getting confused. You may find there are specific gaps in their background knowledge. (If the gaps are large enough, you may determine that this student shouldn't be in your class at all.) Or you may find that the student isn't working through enough problems on their own. Or they are blindly working through problems without trying to understand the underlying concepts or what the questions are asking. Or some particular key concepts aren't clicking. Or they understand things well, but they have testing anxiety. Tailor your advice accordingly.
Of course, this all requires the student to meet you halfway. In my experience, the problem is often gaps in background knowledge and unwillingness to put in enough time. Then, the right advice boils down to "put more time in on the course material and put in extra time brushing up on prerequisites," which goes unheeded most of the time, but at least you've tried.
answered 43 mins ago
user37208
11.5k32438
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
It is certainly part of your job. You say:
developing your own study skills that work for you is literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate
This may be true, but the point is that some students need help doing that. If a student came to you with a math question, you couldn't very well say "learning math is part of the challenge of being a math student" and send them on their way.
I'm not saying you need to hold their hand through mundane organizational details, but broadly speaking, how to spend one's time effectively is both a crucial component of success and a common point of confusion for undergraduate math students.
Anyway, when students come to your office worried about their grade, the first step is to diagnose the problem. Look at their graded work and talk to them about where they are getting confused. You may find there are specific gaps in their background knowledge. (If the gaps are large enough, you may determine that this student shouldn't be in your class at all.) Or you may find that the student isn't working through enough problems on their own. Or they are blindly working through problems without trying to understand the underlying concepts or what the questions are asking. Or some particular key concepts aren't clicking. Or they understand things well, but they have testing anxiety. Tailor your advice accordingly.
Of course, this all requires the student to meet you halfway. In my experience, the problem is often gaps in background knowledge and unwillingness to put in enough time. Then, the right advice boils down to "put more time in on the course material and put in extra time brushing up on prerequisites," which goes unheeded most of the time, but at least you've tried.
answered 43 mins ago
user37208
11.5k32438
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
It is certainly part of your job. You say:
developing your own study skills that work for you is literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate
This may be true, but the point is that some students need help doing that. If a student came to you with a math question, you couldn't very well say "learning math is part of the challenge of being a math student" and send them on their way.
I'm not saying you need to hold their hand through mundane organizational details, but broadly speaking, how to spend one's time effectively is both a crucial component of success and a common point of confusion for undergraduate math students.
Anyway, when students come to your office worried about their grade, the first step is to diagnose the problem. Look at their graded work and talk to them about where they are getting confused. You may find there are specific gaps in their background knowledge. (If the gaps are large enough, you may determine that this student shouldn't be in your class at all.) Or you may find that the student isn't working through enough problems on their own. Or they are blindly working through problems without trying to understand the underlying concepts or what the questions are asking. Or some particular key concepts aren't clicking. Or they understand things well, but they have testing anxiety. Tailor your advice accordingly.
Of course, this all requires the student to meet you halfway. In my experience, the problem is often gaps in background knowledge and unwillingness to put in enough time. Then, the right advice boils down to "put more time in on the course material and put in extra time brushing up on prerequisites," which goes unheeded most of the time, but at least you've tried.
answered 43 mins ago
user37208
11.5k32438
It is certainly part of your job. You say:
developing your own study skills that work for you is literally part of the challenge of being an undergraduate
This may be true, but the point is that some students need help doing that. If a student came to you with a math question, you couldn't very well say "learning math is part of the challenge of being a math student" and send them on their way.
I'm not saying you need to hold their hand through mundane organizational details, but broadly speaking, how to spend one's time effectively is both a crucial component of success and a common point of confusion for undergraduate math students.
Anyway, when students come to your office worried about their grade, the first step is to diagnose the problem. Look at their graded work and talk to them about where they are getting confused. You may find there are specific gaps in their background knowledge. (If the gaps are large enough, you may determine that this student shouldn't be in your class at all.) Or you may find that the student isn't working through enough problems on their own. Or they are blindly working through problems without trying to understand the underlying concepts or what the questions are asking. Or some particular key concepts aren't clicking. Or they understand things well, but they have testing anxiety. Tailor your advice accordingly.
Of course, this all requires the student to meet you halfway. In my experience, the problem is often gaps in background knowledge and unwillingness to put in enough time. Then, the right advice boils down to "put more time in on the course material and put in extra time brushing up on prerequisites," which goes unheeded most of the time, but at least you've tried.
answered 43 mins ago
user37208
11.5k32438
answered 43 mins ago
user37208
11.5k32438
answered 43 mins ago
user37208
11.5k32438
answered 43 mins ago
user37208
11.5k32438
11.5k32438
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The students who are asking you this probably already know the general study skills advice. What they're trying to find out is what you think is important, how you're going to assess them, and how much time (realistically) it should take to prepare for class. Many professors tend to be rather opaque about all of this, which students find frustrating. It's particularly frustrating if the student has many other demands on their time, such as a job or family responsibilities, which is much less frequently the case at European schools.
answered 13 mins ago
Elizabeth Henning
5,11111031
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The students who are asking you this probably already know the general study skills advice. What they're trying to find out is what you think is important, how you're going to assess them, and how much time (realistically) it should take to prepare for class. Many professors tend to be rather opaque about all of this, which students find frustrating. It's particularly frustrating if the student has many other demands on their time, such as a job or family responsibilities, which is much less frequently the case at European schools.
answered 13 mins ago
Elizabeth Henning
5,11111031
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
The students who are asking you this probably already know the general study skills advice. What they're trying to find out is what you think is important, how you're going to assess them, and how much time (realistically) it should take to prepare for class. Many professors tend to be rather opaque about all of this, which students find frustrating. It's particularly frustrating if the student has many other demands on their time, such as a job or family responsibilities, which is much less frequently the case at European schools.
answered 13 mins ago
Elizabeth Henning
5,11111031
The students who are asking you this probably already know the general study skills advice. What they're trying to find out is what you think is important, how you're going to assess them, and how much time (realistically) it should take to prepare for class. Many professors tend to be rather opaque about all of this, which students find frustrating. It's particularly frustrating if the student has many other demands on their time, such as a job or family responsibilities, which is much less frequently the case at European schools.
answered 13 mins ago
Elizabeth Henning
5,11111031
answered 13 mins ago
Elizabeth Henning
5,11111031
answered 13 mins ago
Elizabeth Henning
5,11111031
answered 13 mins ago
Elizabeth Henning
5,11111031
5,11111031
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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3
You don't view it as part of your job as teacher to teach your students how to succeed at your class?
– Najib Idrissi
1 hour ago
Doesn't your lecture include some kind of weekly tutorials where students have to solve math problems to practice their skills and understanding of the material? If yes, refering them to this would be one thing you could do.
– problemofficer
1 hour ago
I just tell my students to practice - that's rhe real way to succeed.
– Sean Roberson
1 hour ago
1
For undergraduates the school probably has centers and programs to train basic skills, which you can refer students to.
– A Simple Algorithm
48 mins ago