Had an interesting lunch yesterday with some colleagues and the topic turned to how we interact with our students. Specifically we were talking about current staff problems and how to not have these in the future and one colleague said that she didn't feel like she was very developmental because once someone has disregarded rules and expectations so many times, she is no longer interested in just having a conversation, but feels like that is when written warning, probation, and the conduct process begins. This made me wonder - are we so focused on the development of students that we forget about the conduct process or punishment at all? Can the two things co-exist?
Whenever we interview candidates and ask about their judicial philosophy, we are looking for an answer that suggests education and learning through conduct issues as opposed to just punishment. While I completely agree that the college environment should be focused on education in every aspect, I wonder if we aren't sometimes doing our students a disservice by assigning a paper or bulletin board as a sanction rather than giving them that wake-up call punishment.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Multiple Identities
As we continue through the class, I keep finding ways that identity formation is a part of daily life of which I was previously unaware. I was discussing the RA class today with my co-teacher and we were talking about upcoming lessons - gender and religion. We joked that we are basically teaching our bachelors degrees and that it is interesting how much the two of us have in common through our academic background. Our discussion continued with how interconnected these types of identities can be, talking about what it means to be male or female in connection to different religions.
All of this made me think about posts I see over social media proclaiming, "another day went by and I still didn't use algebra!" and I am thankful that what we talk about in class is directly connected to our daily lives. We don't have to wait years to put into practice what we discuss in the classroom and that makes us more engaged in the learning process.
All of this made me think about posts I see over social media proclaiming, "another day went by and I still didn't use algebra!" and I am thankful that what we talk about in class is directly connected to our daily lives. We don't have to wait years to put into practice what we discuss in the classroom and that makes us more engaged in the learning process.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Learning through teaching
Student affairs in an incredible field. There are so many opportunities available to try something new or to work on a passion and I feel very lucky to have learned in time that this can be a career. One of the opportunities I have been granted due to my assistantship is to help teach the RA class, a 4000 level psyc class taken by people who want to be considered for hire as resident assistants. I was lucky enough to teach this class twice as an undergraduate as well, making this experience familiar and also new.
One of the subjects breeched in this class is student development theory. Our class is on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we (Claiborne is the other grad student teaching with our lead instructor in this section) have been lucky enough to have theory days fall on Thursdays, the morning after we discuss theory at a higher level. It has been enlightening to see at what level students can absorb what information and even when we see something we say go straight over the heads of our 28 mostly freshmen students, it reinforces our understanding of what we have learned. I know that I will always remember Kohlberg a little better than I otherwise would have because of time spent on this theory in different environments. In a way, this situation could be viewed through the lens of some of our more recent theories, but I'll have to get back to you on that after we try and fail to have those make sense to our students...
One of the subjects breeched in this class is student development theory. Our class is on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we (Claiborne is the other grad student teaching with our lead instructor in this section) have been lucky enough to have theory days fall on Thursdays, the morning after we discuss theory at a higher level. It has been enlightening to see at what level students can absorb what information and even when we see something we say go straight over the heads of our 28 mostly freshmen students, it reinforces our understanding of what we have learned. I know that I will always remember Kohlberg a little better than I otherwise would have because of time spent on this theory in different environments. In a way, this situation could be viewed through the lens of some of our more recent theories, but I'll have to get back to you on that after we try and fail to have those make sense to our students...
Friday, February 15, 2013
Rudy
As a Hoosier, I grew up with the story of Rudy, the story of the kid whose big heart made up for his small stature. Rudy isn't just an inspirational story about how a small kid can play football for his dream team, Rudy is a great lens through which to examine integrative theories.
Just as ecology suggests that HESA professionals adapt to fit the environment of their students, prioritizing differently in order to best serve different populations, Rudy changed his priorities to fit the most desirable outcome - being a football player at Notre Dame.
As a child watching television with his family, Rudy exhibited behaviors that suggest he was in Baxter-Magolda's Phase 1. After he expressed interest in playing football and was laughed at by his family, he visibly deflated. in not pressing the issue, he could be seen as following the path laid out for him by his authority figures. He doesn't give up on his dream, though, and when he is presented with a Notre Dame jacket, this seems to fit with Phase 2. He doesn't let someone else dictate all of his actions and begins to pursue his old dream. When Rudy actively seeks out admission to Notre Dame and tries to become the assistant to the groundskeeper, he is exhibiting behaviors from Phase 3. He is choosing Notre Dame football over all external conflicting viewpoints. This is his dream and no one can take it away from him. As Rudy grows up and is exposed to different environments, he adapts his behaviors for the best chance of achieving his desired outcome. This has nothing to do with his race or gender, though he would have had a much harder time playing college football as a woman of any race, but rather to do with his environment.
Just as ecology suggests that HESA professionals adapt to fit the environment of their students, prioritizing differently in order to best serve different populations, Rudy changed his priorities to fit the most desirable outcome - being a football player at Notre Dame.
As a child watching television with his family, Rudy exhibited behaviors that suggest he was in Baxter-Magolda's Phase 1. After he expressed interest in playing football and was laughed at by his family, he visibly deflated. in not pressing the issue, he could be seen as following the path laid out for him by his authority figures. He doesn't give up on his dream, though, and when he is presented with a Notre Dame jacket, this seems to fit with Phase 2. He doesn't let someone else dictate all of his actions and begins to pursue his old dream. When Rudy actively seeks out admission to Notre Dame and tries to become the assistant to the groundskeeper, he is exhibiting behaviors from Phase 3. He is choosing Notre Dame football over all external conflicting viewpoints. This is his dream and no one can take it away from him. As Rudy grows up and is exposed to different environments, he adapts his behaviors for the best chance of achieving his desired outcome. This has nothing to do with his race or gender, though he would have had a much harder time playing college football as a woman of any race, but rather to do with his environment.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Integrative Theories
It s hard, sometimes, to see how your students fit into different stages of developmental theories. What is really going on in their heads? What, exactly, is shaping their worldview. What piece of their identity is at the forefront in this moment to help me classify them? Reading about integrative theories, things started to fall into place more. Our identity isn't just made up of our race, gender, upbringing, etc. We are a product of our experiences. That's part of why people call it the college experience, right? It makes perfect sense that the experiences and environment of college would have an impact on college students and their later development. I know that I am a different person than when I entered college in August of 2005...
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Reflections on student development theory
When I pictured what graduate school would be like, I imagined several things. I pictured myself as part of a group of people all working toward a common goal of learning. I thought about long nights in the library, even though I prefer to do my studying elsewhere. I saw myself at a desk speaking with students and referencing articles and texts and just generally being impressive. One of the things I was most looking forward to was student development theory.
I was part of a strong group of student affairs minded people in undergrad and our senior year, all 9 of us went to the Oshkosh Placement Exchange looking to begin our careers in student affairs with graduate school and that sweet housing assistantship. I was the only one of us to not get an offer.
As I watched them, mostly through the wonders of social media, learning and having that life I had pictured for myself, I was really hard on myself. Wasn't I as smart as they were? Didn't I have more experience than some? Don't I deserve to have the same achievements? Well, three years and an additional bachelor of arts later, here I am - living the dream. I don't study in the library, because I never have even though it seems like something a graduate student would do, but I do have meaningful conversations with students and I am surrounded by a great group of people - my first year cohort, the second years in housing, my colleges in the department and my classmates. We share articles, though its mostly via facebook rather that imparting my amazing wisdom on students, and I'm still excited about student development theory.
I've had a lot of conversations with my former supervisor about the difference between 22 and 25 year-olds. While three years, especially once you're into your twenties, doesn't seem like enough time for there to be a significant difference, but she and I agreed that there was at least a difference between me and the tools I use to get through my day and those of other people we know. While most of our theories cover traditionally aged college students, I can definitely see now the differences between people with theories to back me up.
I'm still working hard to remember whose theory said what and when it was studied and if it is a model of stages, vectors, or perceptives, but I know that what I'm learning now is going to set me up to be most successful, not just in my career, but in daily life. If I can better make sense of the world around me and the behaviors and rationales of the people with whom I interact, then I am better equipped to make reasonable and positive decisions for myself.
Maybe I wasn't ready for the graduate school experience when the rest of my friends from undergrad were. Maybe I needed to progress through a few more stages. As I learn more about theory and reflect further, I may be able to answer those questions. Until then, I'll just keep trying.
I was part of a strong group of student affairs minded people in undergrad and our senior year, all 9 of us went to the Oshkosh Placement Exchange looking to begin our careers in student affairs with graduate school and that sweet housing assistantship. I was the only one of us to not get an offer.
As I watched them, mostly through the wonders of social media, learning and having that life I had pictured for myself, I was really hard on myself. Wasn't I as smart as they were? Didn't I have more experience than some? Don't I deserve to have the same achievements? Well, three years and an additional bachelor of arts later, here I am - living the dream. I don't study in the library, because I never have even though it seems like something a graduate student would do, but I do have meaningful conversations with students and I am surrounded by a great group of people - my first year cohort, the second years in housing, my colleges in the department and my classmates. We share articles, though its mostly via facebook rather that imparting my amazing wisdom on students, and I'm still excited about student development theory.
I've had a lot of conversations with my former supervisor about the difference between 22 and 25 year-olds. While three years, especially once you're into your twenties, doesn't seem like enough time for there to be a significant difference, but she and I agreed that there was at least a difference between me and the tools I use to get through my day and those of other people we know. While most of our theories cover traditionally aged college students, I can definitely see now the differences between people with theories to back me up.
I'm still working hard to remember whose theory said what and when it was studied and if it is a model of stages, vectors, or perceptives, but I know that what I'm learning now is going to set me up to be most successful, not just in my career, but in daily life. If I can better make sense of the world around me and the behaviors and rationales of the people with whom I interact, then I am better equipped to make reasonable and positive decisions for myself.
Maybe I wasn't ready for the graduate school experience when the rest of my friends from undergrad were. Maybe I needed to progress through a few more stages. As I learn more about theory and reflect further, I may be able to answer those questions. Until then, I'll just keep trying.
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