Hitting the Wall

Date 12-31-2002 17:35

This post is intended for anyone who teaches in a structured training environment (established curriculum, lesson plans, course plans and outline, etc.) wether the training is for welders, NDT or inspection. Hope to get responses from accredited, certified or qualified instructors.

I have taught weld inspection and welder training courses for the last 8 years. The students who had been through the inspection module were very dilligent and often were hungry for the knowledge in the past. Recently (within the last year), I've noticed a sharp change in attitudes. Students wish to "buy" the certification and exhibit very little effort. Homework and exams go unfinished, no shows for class, etc. are the norm these days it seems. Of course if they don't pass I am to blame (who else?), not that this is a concern...

I had a 100% passing rate for my students until last year (approximately 40 students had been trained and passed the CWI exam the first try). I knew it would not last forever, but it made a good selling point for the module. I have students who have attended previously come in for testimonials, I also spend lot's of one on one time with trouble students. My last class went almost double the 40 hour module. This was due to lot's of going over material already covered (several times over) and because many would not take class notes which I require.

My point to this post is:
Do other instructors experience this decline in student participation and interest? As I mentioned, they (potential students) just want to buy questions and answers to memorize. I have never advocated this type of training. I typically send them down the road to other local training facilities that endorse this practice. A good friend who teaches special inspector classes said this is very common. I try to remain optimistic and hope this is not the case.

I have been asked to teach this module again (by several potential CWI's) as well as a fabricator workshop for one of my clients. What do you think?

Happy New Years.

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 12-31-2002 18:35

Stick to your guns,

My first thought was that you simply have exhausted the majority of potential CWIs with any real depth of trade experience and as time goes on you must extend your circle.

Secondly I bet you already make it a habbit to accept critique from your students and have made changes to your lesson plans when good ideas have been presented to you.

The attitude of entitlement or students believing they have some right to be spoonfed information is really nothing new. Access to data does not always equate to mastry of a subject eh? As long as students know going in that your main goal is their *competence* in the subject, you may rest easy.

I think your observations and thoughts are significant in the larger picture however, the national culture is changing, real working apprenticeship programs are all but extinct and folks have become accostomed to making money without getting dirty.

Your teaching style as described is one that compels students to excercise dilligence and hard work and in a world where the definition of integrity is becoming more and more blurred. Should we really be surprised by the attitude of young students?

Think about those testamonials. Those students come back because what you gave them is real!\

Happy New Year

Lawrence

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 01-02-2003 13:26

DGXL,
I too have noticed the decline of intrest in our field. It seems it is hard to get kids off the couch and to drop the gameboy long enough to pull up thier pants and be motivated towards working at anything. It seems they think a good job is making lots of money without working for it. Good work ethics are something our fathers and grandfathers had, but somewhere we've lost it. I didn't come from a family with money, so I feel what I have worked for, I have earned. It makes you take care those things because they were not so easy to come by. I think education has gone down the same paths. People want degrees and make big money, but want it now, before they have earned it. Education is a great resource, but we've made it too easy for our kids. We want our kids to do well in the world, but they have a hard time appreciating it because we've worked hard to make it easy for them.
I agree with Lawrence, Those guys only came back because they had put forth the effort and was proud of what they had accomplished in completing your class,
Keep your chin up!
John Wright

By DGXL

Date 01-12-2003 18:02

Lawrence:
I hope I have not saturated the market with the last of the tradesmen. That worries me slightly. I know I am old shcool in this dept., but I can't help think about the big picture.

Statistically, I have been able to ascertain who would pass, and who would not (or make CAWI), usually about half way through the module.

I agree with your 3rd comment on the changing culture, I guess I'm getting old (have not met anyone getting any younger).

Funny - I still keep in contact with most of my students who worked at it and passed, I have not heard a peep from those who did not. Some of my welding students from 15 years ago still maintain contact. I felt I had let the ones who failed down (for a while). Now I don't know what to think about these people. Not all from the younger generation, many older than me.

My last class really stressed me out and I am still waffling on doing any more training.

Thanks for the seasoned input.

By don

Date 01-23-2003 01:59

We get a cycling of students in terms of interest and motivation. You just cant tell what the next class may bring.
Keep your spirits up, I'm sure you work extremely hard and that it pays off in the success of your students.
Remember, sometimes we try hard to teach and yet there are those who are not willing to learn...... Teach anyway.
We have approx 200 students this semester and have had to adjust teaching styles quite a bit in recent years.
We grade notes daily, not just quantity but quality.
We never lecture for more than 15 minutes without doing something every student sees or touches or does. Hands on, Hands on.
I truly beleive that kids watch TV in 15 minute segments and are trained from early childhood this attention span. We talk daily about becoming entertainers instead of teachers, but its the same thing.
Our adults are not much better than our secondary students, we still have to do the same things.
Keep on keeping on and remember one thing; Once I was frustrated to the point of changing careers and someone whom I respect a lot told me "spend less time doing what you think needs to be done and more time thinking about how you ought to be doing things" I was confused at first but it finally came to me
Good luck !!!

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 01-23-2003 12:36

Good response, Don
John Wright