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 If advising is a form of teaching, then I think it would be perfectly acceptable to correct a student's misuse of certain words. An adviser needs to be careful to use constructive criticism, perhaps drawing attention to a phrase the student is using without malicious intent. This “teaching moment” is within the realm of developmental advising. If the student is using a word or phrase with malicious intent, the adviser has the opportunity to discuss it with the student, and at the very least, recommend the student not to use such words in the adviser's office.~ Jackie Skrzynski, Ramapo College of New Jersey, April 3, 2007 Advisers, faculty, and others are quick to lament the general breakdown of formal language versus informal communication such as IMing. Rather than lament it among ourselves and know that our students will be judged in class, in internships, and in the all-important job interview or graduate application, we need to get to know our advisees enough that they would take criticism constructively. I have returned e-mails and asked students to review them for errors and misspellings before sending them to a college official (me). They almost always apologize and say they were in a hurry or were very tired when composing a shoddy message. In short, these are good students and good people with a lot to offer—and they also represent our institution—but employers will pass over them if they make mistakes or are willfully lazy with their communications. We owe it to them and to ourselves to correct them constructively.~ Christopher Gregory, Framingham State College (Massachusetts), April 3, 2007 When I was a much younger woman, I sent love letters back corrected. In my own way, I thought I was being helpful. My beloved husband of almost thirty-seven years reflects on those corrected letters with humor, and admits he did learn. So should advisers correct their advisees? Of course we should try to be helpful when possible, but there are parameters. Should I ask a young man to remove his hat when he comes into my office? Of course—it's a common courtesy. When I teach classes, I ask students to remove their hats. I tell them to keep their feet on the floor and respect the class by not carrying on conversations with their classmates. It's an ounce of civility.When should we correct our advisees? Students ask me to tell them about “easy classes” and I say, “I don't know.” Instead, I tell them about “manageable combinations” of course that satisfy their goals, objectives, and abilities. I say, they're not here for “easy,” but here to learn. I correct students when I can help them to be more successful students, so I typically do not comment about hats, cell phones, or sloppy attire. When students use incorrect grammar, I rarely correct them. When I'm asked to look at a paper, resume, or letter, I don't hesitate to make corrections. When a student has no math ability, no science interest, and still wants to be a vet, I ask whether they feel comfortable scheduling biology, chemistry, or calculus courses. If not, we can begin talking about alternatives. If they still want to pursue science curricula, I attempt to discover what they want to do as a vet. Maybe the student wants to own a pet store, work as a groomer, or work in a zoo where a degree in veterinary medicine is not necessary. Perhaps a business degree would satisfy a goal more appropriately. I like to help students discover what they mean and help students make good choices about areas of study related to their interests. I never say you cannot do something—I help them discover their strengths. The objective is not to demoralize students. However, inflated grades and unrealistic expectations should be seen as problematic for students. When we can shepherd students through a maze of possibilities, we can gently nudge students toward good decisions. We can foster a climate of open-mindedness, wholeheartedness, and responsibility in decision making. We can do this with kindness and caring. I no longer correct thank-you messages or sweet messages from my husband. ~ Barbara K. Wade, Ph.D., Penn State, April 4, 2007 A student who violates the language should be corrected. I am assuming he or she is not aware of how they come across. But the old bromide, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” is apropos. I have done it, sometimes successfully.~ Jerry O'Connor (now retired), New Mexico State University, April 4, 2007 This is an excellent question and I'm glad you asked it. I know we have all struggled with this one. This is such a sensitive issue that I am reluctant to speak frankly on the matter. I do not want to appear pompous or belittle students for speaking “street” or simply using bad grammar, often the same grammar they hear at home; however, at some point we need to intervene. I started to teach an English learning community recently, and there I am conscious to correct grammatical speaking errors because it is an appropriate place to do so. I owe it to my students to prepare them for the workplace. At the same time, I am careful not to offend anyone. I address this by pointing out the differences between “street” English and proper English. There is a place for each. I'm a counselor, not an English teacher, but I assumed the role of moving students to proper writing and speaking as well as general student success through Freshman Seminar courses. Remain sensitive to students' feelings and dignity, maintain respect, and speak in general rules of grammar rather than specific instances of errors. Remember that at one time, I spoke like I needed an English lesson.~ Steven Stolar, Cumberland County College, April 4, 2007 I think we need to be very careful about attaching labels such as “proper” and “street” to the language that our students use. There are many Englishes in the world today, and which one is “proper” or “correct” is highly dependent upon the context in which it is used.In my advising role, I never correct my students' spoken English unless they ask me to. I do ask questions for clarification when I am not understanding what a student is trying to tell me. As a writing tutor, I correct my students' writing because that is why they have come to me. In fact, the way to view different Englishes within an academic setting is subject to scholarly disagreement. A valuable explanation of these differences as far as one of these Englishes is concerned can be found in A Teacher's Introduction to African American English: What a Writing Teacher Should Know written by Teresa M. Redd and Karen Schuster Webb and published by the National Council of Teachers of English. ~ Marc A. Kaplan, Cleary University and Marygrove College, April 5, 2007 I have special interest in my students being the best that they can be. This is a last opportunity to practice proper skills before entering the career world. Along with their increased didactic knowledge, students should reflect an increase in those interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. I feel as though it is my responsibility as a role model for students who may not have had this training to get what is needed to survive in the career world. I consider myself a contributor to a student's future success.~ DeQuetta Sanders, Texas A&M University–Commerce, April 16, 2007 Of course, everything the other writers mentioned: maintaining dignity, respecting diversity in culture and thought, etc., is all appropriate. However, we know what is socially acceptable, politically correct, and required for employment. Some of our students may not have this knowledge. If a relationship of trust has been established, I believe it is important to seize those rare teachable moments. With my particular group of students (animators), I address the issue of inappropriate e-mail addresses all the time. I don't correct spoken grammar, but I do correct misspellings in presentations and reviews. I try to make a distinction between a person's casual personal life and the work they produce for employers.~ Claire Hilgeman, The Art Institutes International Minnesota, April 17, 2007 Probably the most important thing I want students to be able
to do is really take charge of their own education and
learning. My goal is to create a feeling of empowerment each
time an advisee engages in an advising dialogue. Providing
feedback about an advisee's grammar, written or spoken, or
the advisee's behavior during our interaction can be
worthwhile. However, the value for the advisee is really
dependent on the degree to which they want to know my
reaction or assessment. To create a climate where my
feedback has maximum impact requires an attitude of
curiosity and desire to gain such feedback. I work to create
this in our first sessions by asking the advisee what kinds of
things they would like me to give them feedback about; I can
specifically mention written papers, their speech, their
interpersonal style, and other areas. This serves as an
informal contract between us and clarifies expectations about
the range of things that can occur during our sessions
together. My experience with this approach has been that
advisees become more active in soliciting my feedback, and
even improving their ability to seek feedback from other
sources.~ Rey Carr, Peer Resources (retired from the University of Victoria), April 19, 2007 The Mentor is published by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |
