Hard Thoughts: Answers you have to hear again and again.

My last post got some attention, and after talking to others and thinking through the questions I posed at the end (still more to do to really answer them in full) I thought I'd share where I'm at. This is also a letter to my future self for when I have similar thoughts, as I am noticing a cycle of disillusionment and resolve that seems to happen every 2-3 years. 

Yes, teaching with active learning is difficult. You have chosen to teach on hard mode, as you are not only trying to help students learn math but also how humans learn; through experiences, reflection, and engaging with others. Yet humans also want things to be easy, so posing learning as something you have to actively struggle with is going to get apathy, resistance, and even anger. There may be students who can't do what you ask, which leads to another hard question; are you ready to change your teaching practice to be more inclusive of students who may not be prepared mathematically, or who may not be ready to be put in charge of their learning? The answer has to be yes if you want to help students move from where they are to learn the course outcomes, and this change should refine what you want students to struggle with. 

So what can I do? I can address students who are not mathematically prepared by confirming prerequisites are fulfilled, running a prerequisite assessment at the start of the term. Taking time to carefully grade these assessments will allow me to identify unprepared students I need to counsel to take another course. (I don't believe it is equitable to let a student continue in a course if a faculty member has evidence that the student will be unlikely to be successful. Every student deserves a reasonable chance of success at the start of the term.) This assessment would also let me identify where to offer targeted practice of these skills when they are needed for underprepared but qualified students. Throughout the term I can also point to prerequisite skills students should have before starting topics that require them. I can address students who may not be ready to be put in charge of their learning by being explicit with how learning happens in the course at the start of the term, and following through on that model throughout. A good practice has been to share with students how many of them have completed the homework before giving out the assessment over the material from that assignment.

Still, you're not going to reach everyone. One of the hardest parts of the job right now is the DFW rate in my current courses. For my last three courses it ranged between 50% to 60%. Meaning more than half or the students who are enrolled in my courses after the first week end up with a non-passing grade. I know there are many forces acting on students, and they come from inequitable systems, yet I am tasked with helping students learning the course material. In talking to others these rates are not unusual, but I am driven to be good at my job.

Do what you can with who you have. A poignant moment happened the prior Friday during an active learning community of practice I run. I don't have the number of people I once had, but the quality of our conversations has certainly deepened. Two educators with more years than I shared that we can only reach the students who are in the classroom. If students choose to withdraw from a class it isn't clear if that is something I can control. I can certainly ask them which requires having a copy of the initial course roster with their email addresses, and messaging them once I notice that they have dropped. 

You feel stuck because the system is not setup to support students, and you want to. Decreasing state support of higher education, the demand to be more 'efficient' in education, increased income inequality, decreases in both numeracy and literacy, and other forces beyond your control are making it difficult for students to spend the necessary time and energy on earning a college degree. You can either fight these tides, or use your energy and attention to support the students you can, while advocating for change. 

Hopefully the above will help my future self not get so frustrated, and move on to solutions I can't see right now. What are cycles you repeat? What would you say to your future self?