Instructor-Advisor Partnerships: The Good, the Bad and the Fair-to-Middlin’

Instructor-Advisor Partnerships:

The Good, the Bad and the Fair-to-Middlin’

What’s happening here? That is, Why this presentation?As instructors, we depend in many ways on advisors to enroll the right students into the right courses. Sometimes – many times – the process works successfully. Other times, we find students in our courses who are unprepared or who believe they are unprepared. These are two distinctly different issues.

When Advising blindsides the instructor . . .

We find ourselves making special considerations without knowing why.

The ContextI teach mathematics for elementary teachers. There are two courses in the sequence, MATH 111G and MATH 112. MATH 111G deals with basic mathematics: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, ratios, percentages, and introductory statistics. MATH 112 is all about Geometry.

Complexity & Perceptual Differences

In Case 1, my student wanted to develop her academic language skill. Her perception was that her English wasn’t good enough.

Complexity & Perceptual Differences

In Case 2, my student was struggling with emotional issues that she wanted to keep secret.

So What Happen

ed?

Well, I thought that

The first Case Study was

about Academic Language

Case Study 1: Academic Language

My studentDidn’t participate in classShe avoided working in group . . . BecauseShe “didn’t want to hold them back . . .”


1. She spoke several languages, including Turkish & Chinese2. And said her children helped her with her English


I explained that her classmates would really like to work with her, that they liked her very much . . .

But she persisted in her reluctance


Over and over we talked, but to no avail. I couldn’t seem to convince her that her participation would beenthusiastically welcomed.

Case Study 1: Academic LanguageShe was an outsider and she didn’t need to be.

It was breaking my heart.


Then, one evening I asked my students to draw a simple 2D diagram

This student handed in a very complex, 3D depiction, far beyond the level of the other students in the class.


Clearly, there was something going on here that I did not understand . . .


I called my colleague, Brad, in Advising . . .


Turned out, Brad had advised her. She wanted “some little math class” to work on her English . . .


And my student held advanced Engineering degrees in Chemical Engineering . . .


Without access to the student’s advisor, I would never have known about her complex self-perceptions.

So What Happened?

Case Study 2:Keeping Secrets

Case Study 2: Keeping Secrets

My student1. Was frequently absent2. Did not complete assignments3. Sent sporadic emails promising to come but not showing 4. Acted like everything was “fine”


When she came to class . . .1. She was busy at her workstation2. Still did not complete her work3. Said she was working on her assignments when I talked to her


Around midterms . . . I notified her that if she did not come to class and did not complete her outstanding assignments, I would Admin-drop her


She responded by coming in with a doctor’s note that said she had been under his care for an extended period . . .


I felt bad that she was having such a hard time, and said I would help her get back on track


But after mid-terms, the behavior continued: Missed classes, missed assignments, failing grades, doctor’s notes, promises not kept . . .

I called Brad . . .


Something was not right here, and I needed to know what it was.

What was hiding beneath the surface?


Brad checked her history and together we determined that the problem was chronic.

My student had beenstruggling for some timeand hadn’t been successfulat finding a solution.


I suggested that she might want to talk with someone at ourCounseling Center.

She said thanks, but she had it handled.


My student failed my course, along with several others that semester.

She so desperately needed help, but as Brad said, Sometimes the pitcher is pitching but the catcher isn’t catching.

Summary

Clearly this was not a presentation about solutions but rather one about the importance of connections between Instructor & Advisor.

Summary

The complexities we face and the perceptions and emotions hidden beneath the surface make our close collaboration essential.

Instructor-Advisor Partnerships:

Thank you for your time, attention, and appreciation!

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Instructor-Advisor Partnerships: The Good, the Bad and the Fair-to-Middlin’