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STEP 12 NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS |
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What is a non-traditional
student? |
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A non-traditional student is anyone who has not just graduated from high school.
Some non-traditional
students include adults who have been downsized and are creating new careers. Others
are housewives coming back to education after years of taking care of their
families and homes. Some students need certain courses in order to move up in their
jobs - or to hold onto their jobs. Still other non-traditional students have been
mandated by the social services system to either work or obtain an education within a certain time
limit. All kinds of reasons exist for adults to come back to school.
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What do non-traditional students
have in common? |
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What do all of these students have in common? Fear. They are afraid they
will not fit in; they are afraid they have been out of school too long; they are afraid
they won't succeed.
This fear may manifest itself in anger, sadness, inertia, an "attitude"
problem, or overcompensation.
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What do non-traditional students
possess? |
- Responsibilities:
- They've often suffered set-backs and heartaches. They have responsibilities that
most recent high school graduates have not yet experienced. With demands from
spouses, and/or children, and/or jobs, these students have problems balancing their schedules.
Paying for housing, food, utilities, daycare, transportation, books,
and tuition strains their already limited resources. Therefore,
these students may also have problems balancing their money.
They encounter problems with their childcare sitters - often at the last minute.
They may also have transportation problems.
- Motivation:
- However, most non-traditional students are highly motivated. They know it is up
to them to make their lives better. As a tutor, you can help them reinforce the
relationship between successfully completing each course, which will help them
meet their educational goals, which will lead to a new career, a new
promotion, and/or a transition from welfare to the workforce.
Letting these non-traditional students know
that they are not alone, that there is an
obtainable goal, and that they are the ones creating these changes in their own
lives, often gives these students the confidence, determination, and encouragement they
need to persevere.
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Tutoring suggestions |
- Show genuine interest.
- Use appropriate reinforcement.
- Respect their past experience, but do not allow this to be an excuse for poor
performance.
- Model time management skills.
- Be empathetic.
- Relate information to known experience.
- Use tutoring time wisely. Remember, their time is usually very valuable.
- If you are younger than your tutee,
understand that older students may feel defensive about being tutored by
a younger person.
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