“Most people are hung up on the idea of asking for help. From the time we’re born, we are told that the American ethic is self-reliance. Pull your own weight, row your own boat, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and a host of other similar sayings pervade our culture.”  (AcademicTips.org)

Most of the students I teach come to me with a wealth of world experience and are extremely bright.  Some people might assume that I’ve got it made, but often these students have a hard time admitting that help is needed.  They’ll try on their own for hours rather than ask a quick question, beating themselves up for not being able to figure it out.  Or, they’ll stop at the first sign of frustration, and avoid the situation altogher rather than admit they need someone to throw them a line.

…—…

“This must be painful for you to watch,” said one of my students, expressing his discomfort at asking me to repeat directions.

Yet, this same student is a well-respected expert in his field, and in a different context I have gone to him with “beginner questions!”

…—…

How do we respond to this type of student and successfully encourage them in requesting help early on, so that they can move on to other things that they need to do?  Applying some adult learning strategies to create a safe culture for your students is a key to success.  For example:

• Approach the teaching situation as a partnership, not as a knowledgeable person giving The Right Answer to a novice.
• Create situations where peer and small-group learning is promoted.  Not only is there “safety in numbers,” but education research shows that learning benefits occur in communities of practice.
• Adult learners prefer to ‘solve problems’ rather than ‘learn content,’ so giving permission to fail often is important.  In higher ed, our ‘problems’ may have unknown or multiple solutions, and applying trial and error is valuable.
• Freely admit when you don’t know the answer; say you’ll look it up or suggest that the two of you search for the answer together. Given the rapid changes in technology and the resulting impact on content and pedagogy, this can benefit both of you.
• Communicate that you are accessible, and not simply available.
• Create and communicate to your students your version of the “5 Minute Rule.”  In my area, I advise people if they are stuck on a tech question outside of their area of expertise for more than 5 minutes, ask for help.

…—…

“How many years have you taught your introductory class?” I asked.

“Over 20 years,” the student replied.

“You’re not sick of it yet?”

“No, I love it.  It’s different every time.”

“Well, that’s exactly how I feel about what I teach, too.”

“Ahhhh, I see.”

…—…

And we continued our learning journey together.

Hanging a flag upside down can symbolize distress

I’ve been teaching bright students (teachers and instructors) the art of teaching (which often includes technology) for almost 15 years, following my experiences as a k-12 teacher.  Just like the faculty “student” I quoted above, I love it.  I’m still learning daily as well.  Teaching is a dynamic profession full of new challenges and opportunities all the time.  If you have a teaching concept you’d like to talk about, explore, or learn how to do, contact me (Tracy Russo) or Mark DeLonge any time with your questions and we can learn together:)

Resources and References:

• Current blog series focuses on short overviews of influential learning theories with references for each:  http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.co.uk/
• On situated learning and Communities of practice:  Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1990) Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Andragogy (Adult Learning)and Malcolm Knowles Overview
• Guide for creating communities of practice in higher education (Educause)
• Tomorrow’s Professor Msg. #1348 Enhancing the Effectiveness of TA Office Hours (You will need to type in 1348 in the search box at the top)