An agency was contracted to provide an instructor at a Training Center to certify students to work in a high demand field. The students have varying degrees of academic skills, usually on the low side.
Once hired and in the classroom, the Training Center heard student and staff complaints that the instructor was only lecturing and that the students were complaining and very bored. He was going too fast with no regard to how students were integrating the information.
The agency talked its instructor, suggesting several ways to differentiate instruction, refer students to remediation when needed, and to provide variety in how he delivered the materials. Nothing has changed. The instructor insists on teaching the way he was taught. Everyone is afraid that if they push too hard, the instructor will leave. The agency has no one else to replace this instructor since no one else in the region is certified or qualified to teach the course. It is too late to cancel the class.
What are your recommendations? Your help is needed! Thanks, Leecy
Comments
Some brainstorms -- since I'm not there, I don't know nuances but maybe some of this can give you an idea.
If these students had come to my office with this situation, I would strive to find online & supplemental materials and/or people to help them get where they need to be. Is this guy doing it his way 'cause he thinks it's valid (and that anything else is "going easy" and people will pass without knowing enough)? Or... because this is Just A Job... if it's the latter, then I'd see if I could find at least one "guest speaker " so he could have an easy day and students could have a different experience.
It also might be worth pursuing a single "remediation" or differentiation activity that might be less threatening than "here are 15 things that you could do."
If, basically, you're wasting *somebody's* money on this -- I'd be actively looking for options instead of letting this "the agency has this funding so the position is here -- it's not working but it's not the humans who matter anyway!" situation be accepted.
You make good points, Susan. Typical of rural, underfunded areas, "ya get what you can get," and hope it works. I'll be sure to pass on your suggestions in hopes that things will improve. The problem isn't finding supplemental resources, which abound. Tutoring is also available outside of class.The challenge, as I understand it, is to keep students going to a very boring class which lasts half a day, followed by a lab for the rest of the day. I think a guest speaker might help here and there.
Going back to "the issue," my take is that the instructor is a professional in high-demand, who believes that he knows it all and is not open to having others interfere. Again, people are afraid of pushing too hard and losing him since no one else is certified to teach and certify students. Your help is appreciated, as always! Leecy