Truism no. 23 deals with students expectations. Most of us know that adult returning students in the ESL class, though understandably proud of their lifetime accomplishments, are often unrealistic when it comes to estimating the amount of time and effort required to succeed in a course of study. They see themselves as shrewd managers of their time, juggling a job, family responsibilities, commitments to civic and/or religious organizations, and so forth. They'll carve out one hour a day, they say, and ace this class. Quite often, a learner discovers after the first quiz that they are in serious trouble, and they simply quit. Quitting classes can become a habit, and can negatively impact your students' careers and disrupt their personal lives as they lose money on tuition and fees, hire and dismiss babysitters, lose out on possible pay raises and/or promotions at work, etc.
READ ABOUT IT:
Zemke, R., and S. Zemke. "30 Things We Know for Sure About Adult Learning," TRAINING Magazine, June 1981. Minn: Lakewood Publications. (Revisited in June 1995 -- they asked themselves, "Has anything changed?") Found at: http://www.trainingmag.com/sites/default/files//TrainingMagazine_1995_AdultsLearning.pdf
Maryellen Weimer, Ph.D., while posting Aug 20, 2014, in Teaching Professor Blog at Faculty Focus (Reality Check: Helping to Manage Student Expectations, found at http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/reality-check-helping-manage-student-expectations/) talks about this "conundrum" facing educators: We think our students ought to believe in themselves, and commit to doing well; on the other hand, we need them to be realistic about what classroom success demands in terms of time and effort.
I like her notion of bringing in "evidence-based answers," maybe by asking former students to share their advice on the course website. Maybe by providing regular reminders and review of the goals students articulate at the beginning of the course. I've even seen the idea of a quiz on the syllabus, reinforcing the point that understanding expectations is crucial for success. Keeping open the lines of communication, and seeking a balance between your and your students' expectations are key, and should clear the way for classroom success.
The Zemkes recommend clarifying and articulating everyone's expectations before getting into content on the first day. If those two are at odds, then the article writers say the problem should be acknowledged, with some negotiation and resolution attempted. But in the end, say the Zemkes, " ... the instructor can assume responsibility only for his or her own expectations, not for that of trainees."
