Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1421945
7 Melissa Trevathan-Minnis, PhD Part-Time Facult y, Department of Psychology Having taught students invested in the helping professions for more than 10 years, I've developed some tips I'd like to share. While there are many factors to consider when partnering with students for growth and learning, one thing I'll focus on in this article is the importance of helping students simultaneously develop both personally and academically. I believe if we are doing it right, it can be a reciprocal process whereby growth in one domain leads to growth in the other. This begins of course, with the curriculum and should cascade into our teaching and feedback. Here are some ideas for hitting both of these learning edges. Ask Students to Be Both Thinkers and Feelers: More specifically, we want to invite students to think about and demonstrate understanding of the theories and concepts they encounter, but we also want to invite students to reflect upon how they feel about the ideas they encounter. While opinion is not an appropriate means of supporting an argument, it does make sense that we offer space for students to explore how material fits within their worldview and if/how they might incorporate it into their own conceptualization or work. This might mean comments we include to invite students to reflect further on concepts or questions we ask to illicit further exploration. Allow Students to Connect Theories to the Real World: Real life examples and events happening within our culture are sometimes the best way to bring concepts to life and allow a student to develop a deeper understanding of an idea. Offering examples in feedback or addressing questions about an assignment with examples like these can lead to some powerful moments of understanding. Real world examples also allow students to better understand the importance of what they are studying and how concepts might be applied directly. Remind Students NOT to Put the Cart Before the Horse: It is helpful for students to sometimes be reminded of their goals and why they are pursuing further education. Remind them to make each course and assignment a way to strengthen their plan and purpose rather than allowing it to just be a means to an end. Sometimes reflecting on how an assignment might be used later in one's career can be a useful way to reinvigorate motivation and enthusiasm. Further, doing so can help students identify their personal buy-in to the topic at hand. Digging deeper and asking students to identify their goals can also create greater empathy and compassion from faculty for students.