Asking for helps
As educators, have we ever wonder why students who need help do not ask for help? Why didn't they come to see us when there is time but wait until it is too late?
I have been teaching software engineering in many countries. If I have to go to places where English is not spoken then I have to rely on local friends to help. Last year, I taught a seminar in Japan, I have been in Japan several times in the past so I thought that I could find my way without help. I made a mistake and got lost in a subway station. I guessed I took the wrong elevator to different level and could not find my way back. I needed to go to a meeting at 9 a.m. and had just less than half hour to get there. I felt very uncomfortable and confused. The station was crowded with people and all the signs were in Japanese. I kept walking from floor to floor with the hope to find a way out but could not. I asked myself “Why didn't I ask a friend to come along with me? I walked around for fifteen minutes before reluctantly asked for help but most people looked at me and said something in Japanese that made me felt more confused. Finally a young student seemed to understand and took me to the right elevator and I was able to get a taxi to TokyoUniversity.
The experience taught me a lesson about seeking help. It is not easy to ask for help and it takes courage to so that. The more confused you are the more difficult for you to ask. In my situation, I did not ask for help until the last minute because somehow I think I could find the exit. Now I know why students who need help often do not ask for help. They probably think that they could find the right answers without help. Sometime, the nature of the classroom affects the decision to ask for help too. If the class emphasizes teamwork, collaboration with open discussions, students are more likely to ask for help. On the other hand, if it is a traditional type where students are judged as individual and often compared to others, then students are less likely to seek help because they do not want to be judged by their friends. In that case, professors must interfere. Struggling students do not need to be embarrassed in front of their friends.
If embarrass, students will not learn anything and probably never want to ask for help again. The best way is to deal with this situation in private. I often ask students who did not do well in class to come to see me in my office so I can talk to them individually without others present. I know that many students do well in classroom by themselves but some do need extra tutorials. By spending extra time to help, many can do well or even excel.
Professors have a responsibility to let students know that they are not doing well in class. But that message can be given in ways that increase the chance that students will stop avoiding the issue and start getting the help they need. Just like bitter tasting medicine, sometime add a little sugar makes it much easier to take. Students need little encouragements and supports to achieve their learning goal. Negative attitudes from professors about their abilities will do harm to their confidence. With young people, confidence is one thing that can help them to achieve remarkable thing. By open and make yourself available to students; by giving encouragement; and by being positive about their progress, professors can give students back the confidence that they need. Many students told me that a ten extra minutes of support at the end of a class can make a huge difference to them.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
