IMPACT Live!

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

I used to believe that every student who placed into my courses could succeed with enough dedication. After 25 years of teaching, I've realized that's not always the case. Here's why:

Foundational Gaps: Some students lack essential prerequisites, and catching up within a single term can be challenging, even with dedication.

Time Constraints: Balancing work, family, or other courses limits the time students can commit, often impacting their ability to engage fully.

Learning Differences: Unique learning styles or challenges may require alternative support that's not always feasible in a traditional classroom.

Anxiety and Pressure: Math anxiety and test stress can affect performance, sometimes despite thorough preparation.

Complexity of Math: Certain abstract concepts are difficult to master, and even hard work may not be enough to fully grasp them within a semester.

I'm not giving up on my students, but I've learned not to take it personally when some struggle despite their best efforts. Instead, I'm focusing on finding new ways to motivate them and improve their chances of success. I'd be very interested to hear about other instructors' experiences and strategies for helping students achieve their potential.

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

Firstly thank you for sharing and your questions posed!

I'be been keen to have discussions about the future of education. These types of discussions help me to envision all the pieces that might need change for education in the future.

I have to agree with all the comments from Iryna here.

I think that "not taking it personally" is very much in line with healthy boundary setting. One individual, no matter how well prepared they are, can't make it so every single student from any population succeeds, and accepting that is more key now than in the past. I teach 90 students a quarter, some don't have the food they need and some don't speak English, so thinking I can get them all to pass in one quarter is unrealistic for me. If I taught one class perhaps then it's possible, but still not a guarantee. 

It seems to me that students struggle more now due to life circumstances for all the reasons Iryna stated above. I also think students are more aware now than 20 years ago, and there's a lot more going on for all of us.

I have noticed the more relaxed I can be (in the sense of trying to enjoy class time and put stress aside during that time) the more the students engage. I continue to have a very high attendance rate and homework completion rates, and I think that's pretty much the best I can aim for given my skills and personality. And despite my best efforts, not all students can take advantage of the resources like office hours, and not all can pass in their first try. 

In my current quarter I figure that my best effort is to model focus and patience which gets them to class and has them engaged to do the work. Sometimes I bring fun, like story telling, throwing out stickers or Halloween candy in exchange for coming up to the board. I find this helpful for moments of sorrow (post elections and war times, for example) but also helpful if you get a section where there's not a lot of naturally occurring connection.

For me in order to be the more "relaxed persona in class" requires a lot of self care, and I think it will be more important in the future for faculty in general (even the naturally super laid back faculty). Not taking it personally is something I believe has traditionally come from experience, and I think it would be fantastic if we can find ways to teach these skills to incoming faculty so they can have this under their belts earlier on in their careers. While still maintaining a strong level of empathy of course. 😉 

Hope my thoughts can be helpful to at least one person. 🙏☺️

I used to believe that every student who placed into my courses could succeed with enough dedication. After 25 years of teaching, I've realized that's not always the case. Here's why:

Foundational Gaps: Some students lack essential prerequisites, and catching up within a single term can be challenging, even with dedication.

Time Constraints: Balancing work, family, or other courses limits the time students can commit, often impacting their ability to engage fully.

Learning Differences: Unique learning styles or challenges may require alternative support that's not always feasible in a traditional classroom.

Anxiety and Pressure: Math anxiety and test stress can affect performance, sometimes despite thorough preparation.

Complexity of Math: Certain abstract concepts are difficult to master, and even hard work may not be enough to fully grasp them within a semester.

I'm not giving up on my students, but I've learned not to take it personally when some struggle despite their best efforts. Instead, I'm focusing on finding new ways to motivate them and improve their chances of success. I'd be very interested to hear about other instructors' experiences and strategies for helping students achieve their potential.

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

I used to believe that every student who placed into my courses could succeed with enough dedication. After 25 years of teaching, I've realized that's not always the case. Here's why:

Foundational Gaps: Some students lack essential prerequisites, and catching up within a single term can be challenging, even with dedication.

Time Constraints: Balancing work, family, or other courses limits the time students can commit, often impacting their ability to engage fully.

Learning Differences: Unique learning styles or challenges may require alternative support that's not always feasible in a traditional classroom.

Anxiety and Pressure: Math anxiety and test stress can affect performance, sometimes despite thorough preparation.

Complexity of Math: Certain abstract concepts are difficult to master, and even hard work may not be enough to fully grasp them within a semester.

I'm not giving up on my students, but I've learned not to take it personally when some struggle despite their best efforts. Instead, I'm focusing on finding new ways to motivate them and improve their chances of success. I'd be very interested to hear about other instructors' experiences and strategies for helping students achieve their potential.

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Iryna!  You mention many significant hurdles for students today.  I agree that we can't take it personally when students don't succeed.  What are some ways that you MOTIVATE students to work harder, despite some of these challenges, even if they might not make it through the course?

I used to believe that every student who placed into my courses could succeed with enough dedication. After 25 years of teaching, I've realized that's not always the case. Here's why:

Foundational Gaps: Some students lack essential prerequisites, and catching up within a single term can be challenging, even with dedication.

Time Constraints: Balancing work, family, or other courses limits the time students can commit, often impacting their ability to engage fully.

Learning Differences: Unique learning styles or challenges may require alternative support that's not always feasible in a traditional classroom.

Anxiety and Pressure: Math anxiety and test stress can affect performance, sometimes despite thorough preparation.

Complexity of Math: Certain abstract concepts are difficult to master, and even hard work may not be enough to fully grasp them within a semester.

I'm not giving up on my students, but I've learned not to take it personally when some struggle despite their best efforts. Instead, I'm focusing on finding new ways to motivate them and improve their chances of success. I'd be very interested to hear about other instructors' experiences and strategies for helping students achieve their potential.

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Iryna!  You mention many significant hurdles for students today.  I agree that we can't take it personally when students don't succeed.  What are some ways that you MOTIVATE students to work harder, despite some of these challenges, even if they might not make it through the course?

I used to believe that every student who placed into my courses could succeed with enough dedication. After 25 years of teaching, I've realized that's not always the case. Here's why:

Foundational Gaps: Some students lack essential prerequisites, and catching up within a single term can be challenging, even with dedication.

Time Constraints: Balancing work, family, or other courses limits the time students can commit, often impacting their ability to engage fully.

Learning Differences: Unique learning styles or challenges may require alternative support that's not always feasible in a traditional classroom.

Anxiety and Pressure: Math anxiety and test stress can affect performance, sometimes despite thorough preparation.

Complexity of Math: Certain abstract concepts are difficult to master, and even hard work may not be enough to fully grasp them within a semester.

I'm not giving up on my students, but I've learned not to take it personally when some struggle despite their best efforts. Instead, I'm focusing on finding new ways to motivate them and improve their chances of success. I'd be very interested to hear about other instructors' experiences and strategies for helping students achieve their potential.

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

Hi everyone!

I have defended my dissertation proposal and will be doing a research study in the spring semester with developmental math students in a newly (re)designed one-semester "Basics of Quantitative and Statistical Reasoning" course. The study is on goal-setting with Goal Setting Theory (a theory of motivation!) and Social Cognitive Theory, primarily the constructs of self-efficacy and self-regulation, undergirding my research. I will be using Zimmerman's self-regulated learning model as students set weekly math goals. The intent is for students to meet their weekly goals to progress to their next level math course and eventually obtain their longer-term goal of earning a college credential. 

Every student brings a unique set of skills to the college classroom, so through this approach, my objective is to better support students' individual needs as they take more ownership over their learning. And perhaps in this process some students will recognize that a degree is not yet attainable, but that a certificate is, and that is a great start! While we aim to guide and support students in their educational endeavors, they must be realistic in their aspirations since everyone gets 24 hours in a day!

The results of my study won't be known until next summer, but I am excited to see what happens!

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

That sounds super interesting. I'd love to read that when you're done!

Hi everyone!

I have defended my dissertation proposal and will be doing a research study in the spring semester with developmental math students in a newly (re)designed one-semester "Basics of Quantitative and Statistical Reasoning" course. The study is on goal-setting with Goal Setting Theory (a theory of motivation!) and Social Cognitive Theory, primarily the constructs of self-efficacy and self-regulation, undergirding my research. I will be using Zimmerman's self-regulated learning model as students set weekly math goals. The intent is for students to meet their weekly goals to progress to their next level math course and eventually obtain their longer-term goal of earning a college credential. 

Every student brings a unique set of skills to the college classroom, so through this approach, my objective is to better support students' individual needs as they take more ownership over their learning. And perhaps in this process some students will recognize that a degree is not yet attainable, but that a certificate is, and that is a great start! While we aim to guide and support students in their educational endeavors, they must be realistic in their aspirations since everyone gets 24 hours in a day!

The results of my study won't be known until next summer, but I am excited to see what happens!

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?

I firmly believe that every student who has placed into my courses can succeed, but it will require them to work.  In some cases, they will have to work harder than they have ever worked in a math class before!  The struggle is motivating students to do the work.  What strategies have you used to motivate students to do the work that is necessary for them to learn the concepts and pass their math class?