1. Successful Teachers = Successful Students
Valuing Student Differences Dr. Jane MacDonald
Educational Leadership
Encouraging Student Self-Motivation Dr. Mildred Golden Pryor
Management
Student Problems & Problem Students Dr. John Humphreys

2. Valuing Student Differences: Dr. Jane MacDonald
What kind of learners do we find in our classrooms today?

3. We will briefly explore these questions . . .
How do students differ?
What are the traits of various learners?
How do certain students learn best?
What are the effective strategies to use?
Why do classrooms need to be different today?

4. Personal Reflection:
How do you learn best?

5. What was the best learning experience
Shared Reflection:
What was the best learning experience
you have had recently?
What made it so?

6. How do students differ? Entry competencies Learning styles
Academic information & records
Personal and social characteristics
Cultural diversity
Learners with Disabilities

7. Culturally diverse learners learn best when . . .
Involved in joint productive activities where the teacher
(expert) and students (novices) work closely together
Language and literacy is developed across the curriculum
Learning occurs in highly meaningful real-world contexts
Learning includes complex thinking and problem solving
in real-world contexts
Learning through conversation and dialogue

8. The general traits of adult learners . . .
Must perceive learning to be relevant and timely.
Want to use new information immediately to
Solve problems.
Like to continuously learn.
Usually prefer to socialize while learning.
Want input into what, how, where and when
they will learn.

9. Adult Learners . . . Appreciate speedy and accurate feedback
about their progress.
Are ego-involved in the learning.
STRONGLY resist learning situations that
attack their capabilities.
Benefit from structured reflections of
their personal practice.
Differ more from one another than child learners
making an individualized approach a necessity.

10. Adult students learn best when . . .
They see the need to learn!
Learning is relevant.
Learning relates to the whole person.
Learning promotes personal growth.

11. Adult students learn best when learning . . .
Includes socialization allowing
for transfer to occur.
Occurs in a safe environment.
Is timely.
The instructor is an expert and a facilitator.
Requires personal reflection.

12. Effective classroom strategies that promote adult learning include . . .
Meaningful choices
Job-embedded or real-world applications
Reflection-on-practice
(Design – Describe – Reflect)
Individual contracting

13. Effective classroom strategies that promote adult learning include . . .
“Ad hoc” group work and group problem-solving
OPTIONAL individual presentations
Problem-based learning activities - Such as
scenarios, simulations, role-playing,
case studies, in-basket exercises and
leaderless group activities

14. A Critical Paradigm Shift has occurred:
Students more and more are asking the question-
“What will I know and be able to do as a result of this course?”
Did they enjoy the class or the program becomes less and less an issue.

15. Why has this shift occurred?
Results-driven education
Systems thinking
Constructivism
Increased diversity
Need for personalization

16. Personal Reflections:
Do you care enough to build the necessary
positive relationships with your students to
help them be successful in your classroom?
Do you care enough to set the stage
for student success?

17. Valuing Student Differences
When students believe that success is possible, they will try.
So my first priority in any class is to help my students
Believe in themselves and their ability to learn.”
-LouAnne Johnson, Author, Dangerous Minds

18. Questions?

19. Encouraging Student Self-Motivation Mildred Golden Pryor, Ph.D.
Who are they? What do they want?
How can we as teachers
help students succeed?

20. If we do the right things right. They and we expect positive changes.
WHO/WHAT ARE STUDENTS?
Co-managers of the teaching/learning process,
Customers who have requirements & needs,
and to some extent
Raw material who will change
as a result of our classes
If we do the right things right.
They and we expect positive changes.

21. What Do Students Want, Expect?
Self Determination – Empowerment (Ability to make
choices about their courses)?
Knowledge – to learn? Do they know how to learn?
Respect – to be treated like first-class, not second-class citizens – to be treated with at least as much respect as
they get at discount stores and grocery stores?
A degree? A job? To be able to make a living and a life?
To grow as a person?
Excellence in the classroom?
Why don’t we ask them? Involve them?
We faculty exist because of them . . .
the students!

22. Why should Educators care about Quality (Excellence)?
Quality is the extent to which processes, products, services and relationships are free from defects, constraints, and items which
do not add value for customers
and other stakeholders
Pryor, White, & Toombs (2007, 1998) Strategic Quality Management:
A Strategic Systems Approach to Continuous Improvement
If what we teach and how we teach it adds value
FOR THEM, students are more likely
to WANT to learn.

23. What Quality Is & Is Not! Quality is not a business concept.
It is a strategic weapon for success
in any organization
Families, Churches, K-12 Schools
Universities, Hospitals, etc.
Quality = Commitment to Excellence

24. Excellence . . . Doing the right things
Doing things because they are the right thing to do
Doing things right
Delivering results by what we expect . . .
and what we do!

25. Quality . . . Excellence Strategies, Tactics, Success
Doing the right things - Effectiveness (Purpose - What/Why)
Doing things because they are right – Ethics (Principles - Why)
Doing things right - Efficiency & Environment
(Processes - How)
Doing things right - Empowerment & Expectations
(People - With whom)
Expected/Envisioned Results – Excellence
Measurement & Feedback (Performance – What)

26. Purpose/Effectiveness
We must ask ourselves – What is our job . . .
to help students to succeed . . .
or to document failure?
To help students succeed . . .
Provide extrinsic rewards, informative feedback,
and
opportunities for improvement!

27. Purpose/Effectiveness
Teach with a sense of purpose
Make the value of courses explicit,
and take time to help students understand
why what they are learning matters.
(McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, pp ).

28. Efficiency & Environment
Create conditions (Processes, Assignments)
that enable students to expect to succeed.
H O W ?
Partner with students
to continuously improve
the teaching/learning process.

29. Efficiency & Environment
Create a classroom environment that promotes
a mastery orientation
focused on the development of
understanding and mastery of Materials and skills
rather than on
relative performance to others.
(McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, pp ).

30. Empowerment Recognize students’ need for self-determination. . .
Some Ideas
Provide opportunities for choice and control
Involve students in strategic & tactical management of course
Let students contract for a grade
Give students options in assigning work – Let them choose . . .
Research topics – 2 of 4 assignments, etc.
Involve students in evaluating the extent to which
THEY achieved their goals for the course
(McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, pp ).
Do we want to teach students how to make choices
or how to exist as POW’s—as they encounter
Learned Helplessness?

31. Strategic & Tactical Plan for Teams Personal Development Plan - Individuals
Determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.
What is your mission i.e., reason for existence?
What is your vision? What do you want to be?
What are your core values . . .
What do you care about passionately?
What are your operating guidelines—How will you behave?
What are your goals and objectives?
What are your strategies and tactics
for achieving your Goals and objectives?
How will you know if you are successful?
What will you measure . . .
What are your Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)?

32. Ethics, Principles, Core Values
Teachers should determine their own
ethical standards, principles, and core values
and help students determine theirs as well.
Integrity
Society
The Future
Excellence
Learning
Doing a
Good job
What do you care about passionately?
This is not how you teach – it’s who you are!

33. Empowerment & Expectations
Foster intrinsic motivation by arousing curiosity,
providing challenges, and offering choices
(McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, pp ).
Most people come to college motivated to learn.
However, the attitudes and actions of teachers
can de-motivate them.
Motivated Teachers are Positive Role Models
for students and others in society.

34. Expected/Envisioned Results
Foster adaptive attributions:
Help students value the application of
effort and learning strategies,
and communicate your belief in
their respective capabilities
(McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, pp ).
Help students know what they need to know/do to succeed.

35. If we expect students to do well,
They are more likely to do well.
Why?
The Pygmalion Effect?
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?
Evaluative Feedback?
Appreciative Management?
Mentoring? Transformational Leadership?
Empowering & trusting students & helping them to succeed?
If WE as TEACHERS believe it, perhaps we shall invest ourselves
in it and work hard to become part of students’ successes.

36. Social Goals & Academic Goals
Provide opportunities for students to meet
social goals in ways that are compatible with
academic goals – (e.g., teams, interactive lectures)
(McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, pp ).
PowerPoint slides on USB drives are useful.
However, we must remember that
more learning occurs
if students are
interacting, not just observing.

37. Performance Excellence
Provide constructive feedback that will enhance
students’ desire to improve & continue to learn
Good job!
Use assignments and exams to assist students
with mastery of the material rather than
penalizing them for what they do not know
(McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, pp ).

38. If we want students to do well . . .
We’ll act like it . . .
We’ll plan for it . . .
We’ll teach them (students) to plan for it.
We’ll involve them because it’s the right thing to do
and BTW, if students don’t come or don’t stay,
we faculty members have no reason to exist
because research and service ALONE . . .
do not a university make!

39. How to Motivate Students It’s not what we do to them – It’s what we do for them.
Care passionately about student success.
Understand that student failure reflects
negatively on the teacher and the student.
Understand and use motivation and human behavior theories.
Understand and use EXCELLENCE concepts/tools.
Make student motivation & success an integral part of
your personal and professional goals.
Communicate your student goals as well as your course
objectives to the students.
Respect students as co-managers of the teaching/learning
process--Expect them to manage/succeed!

40. Use Tools – e.g., Force Field Analysis
1. Determine where you are (e.g., unmotivated students).
2. Determine where you want to be, i.e., your vision (motivated students – excited about learning).
3. List driving or enabling forces which can facilitate movement toward your vision.
Support, encourage, and strengthen these forces.
4. List restraining forces which can hinder movement toward your vision.
Eliminate (or minimize impact of) these forces.

41. Use Strategic and Tactical Models (e.g., 5P’s Model)
Purpose
Principles, Processes
People
Performance
Pryor, White & Toombs (1998). USA: Thomson Learning

42. Adapt Models as Needed 5P’s (5E’s)Model
Purpose/Effectiveness
Principles/Ethics, Processes/Efficiency/Environment
People/Empowerment & Expectations
Performance/Expected/Envisioned Results
(Pryor & Humphreys, 2007)
Pryor, White & Toombs (1998). USA: Thomson Learning

43. Questions?

44. Student Problems and Problem Students Dr. John Humphreys
Common Issues That Most Teachers Face

45. You’re Not Alone, But …
“It is human nature to perceive the problem as the student; but before focusing on changing the student’s behavior, take a few moments to look at what you are doing that might be related to the student’s behavior” (McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, p. 172).
In other words, make sure you truly have a “people” problem instead of a bad “process.”

46. Aggressive/Challenging Students
These students actually allow you to model critical thinking skills.
When challenged, demonstrate:
Scholarly debate
Listening skills
Thoughtful reflection
Respectful disagreement
Reasonable compromise if appropriate

47. “I Want the Truth!”
After you have brilliantly analyzed an issue from multiple perspectives, this is the student that wants to be told which one is “right.”
Some of this is due to our tidy formats.
We should strive to have classrooms where competing ideas are challenged and defended.
We need to “help our students understand how knowledge is arrived at in their own disciplines, what counts as evidence, and how to read critically and evaluate knowledge claims” (McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006, p. 175).

48. Under-Prepared Students
Remember that while some students didn’t apply themselves diligently before now, others may be behind because they haven’t been taught effectively.
We can:
Point them to resources on campus
Assess the causes of their difficulty
Focus them toward active learning
Encourage peer-to-peer systems if appropriate

49. Class Management Problems
We can avoid many of these potential problems by:
Designing our processes well
Setting clear expectations in all documents (e.g., syllabus, What to Expect, etc.)
Enforcing policies and procedures fairly and consistently, but not inflexibly

50. Attention Seekers
Recognize that at the start of a semester, these students can be useful.
But when they persist, we can:
Suggest that you need to get everyone’s ideas
As a small group of students to act as “process observers”
Ask the dominating student to see us outside of class. Moreover, make this meeting productive to your ultimate aims.

51. Inattentive Students
First, consider that some of the problem may be your materials or presentation of them.
If that’s not it, try:
Breaking the class into groups
Calling on the inattentive or a student near them
Rotating seating from back to front
Having a class discussion on the factors that influence learning
Have them see you outside of class

52. Angry Students
Here, we are not reverting back to an aggressive student, but rather, one that has emotional problems that emerge as true hostility.
While we cannot ignore it, we also cannot respond with hostility because it would not provide a good model of how to deal with emotional situations, for that student or the remainder of the class.

53. Angry Students
Are less likely to present open hostility if we become more acquainted with them.
If they do present as openly hostile (e.g., attacks your point of view during a lecture; blames you for their performance), we must begin by listening carefully and respectfully. We must let these students know we recognize them as individuals, that we are committed to their learning, and that we’ll listen and respond as constructively as possible.

54. Sensitive Topics
Some students will also have very emotional responses to sensitive subject matter that must be discussed.
We must help these students see the complexity of such issues but we should:
Acknowledge the sensitivity of the topic
Admit the difficulty and importance of sharing ideas in a respectful manner
Encourage students to defend their positions in a rational manner

55. Psychological Problems
Listen rather than intervening
Recognize your limitations
In some cases, professional help will be needed and we should become aware of what is available before we need it
If the student agrees to professional assistance, take the next step to facilitate the process

56. If teachers & students care about each other’s success . . .
We can make a difference in . . .
each other’s lives . . .
the classroom . . .
Texas A&M University-Commerce . . .
and society.
We can if we will We know how.

57. Questions?