© Copyright 2000 by Anne Marchant. The right to make additional exact copies, including this notice, for personal and classroom use, is hereby granted. All other forms of distribution and copying require permission of the author.

Final Considerations

George Mason is fortunate to have a student population that is both cosmopolitan and diverse. One must be aware of and sensitive to different cultures, lifestyles, and approaches to learning. While the cultural differences are very enriching, the differences in educational backgrounds add an additional challenge for instructors. Furthermore, our many mature students are often apprehensive about going back to school and feel unsure about their ability to compete with younger students. They often need positive reinforcement and extra assistance. (Although they are almost invariably excellent students!) All these factors make if difficult to find a humane compromise between overall course standards and helping an individual grow and develop.

Given the many "stories" instructors are told, it is often difficult to sort out fact from fiction. (Have you ever noticed that grandparents seem to die at many times the national average whenever we give exams?) One needs to develop a sense of when to insist on deadlines and when to cut some slack. We need to be aware that students may be chased by very real demons that we cannot see. Then too, one must always consider that there may be other factors that impede a student's performance, including disabilities, family or personal problems, physical or mental health conditions. Several times students have come to my office hours ostensibly to discuss their progress in class but clearly suffering from difficulties beyond the scope of academic advising. I have referred such students to the University counseling services. Often, these students report back to me that the counseling was of tremendous benefit, and has enabled them to move forward with their academic careers.

How students feel about their work is an important factor in their success. They need to feel that they are making good progress while at the same time, they need the instructor's objective appraisal. Students may be unrealistically optimistic about how they are doing. Alternatively, they may know that they are not doing well, and look for excuses to fail. Posting lecture notes, reminders, and announcements (as web pages or WebCT bulletins) provides a "reality check." It helps students organize their coursework, track their progress, and helps faculty answer those "What did I miss?" questions.

I once saw a live performance given by Whoopi Goldberg in Berkeley before she became widely known. One of the many facets of her wonderful talent was her ability to make each person in the audience feel that she was speaking directly to that person. She accomplished this by holding the eye contact of each person and by radiating the feeling that your understanding of the story she was telling was very important to her. It made me realize that even in the very large classes I teach, it is possible to have a conversation with each student. As stated earlier, large classes create pressures that can lead to negative dynamics. It is especially important in large classes, therefore, for the instructor to convey genuine concern for the progress of each individual.

Team-Teaching and Supplemental Instruction

Open, Honest and Humane