March 2nd: Day Two in the Trenches…

So I survived day one of my teaching practicum experience, and then it was on to day two in the classroom. On day two we got an early start because students were offered the opportunity of an exam review. As an undergraduate nurse I went through many exam reviews myself, and I have learned that every instructor is different and likes to review exams in a different way. That day was no exception for a new learning experience. My preceptor had an informal review for this exam, which was understandable given the size of the class (117 students can be an overwhelming number, especially when they are stressed out about their exam). Because the exam review was not a requirement for students but rather an elected opportunity to review their mistakes and ask questions, my preceptor relayed that it is always uncertain how many students will attend exam reviews.

As always, there is planning involved. My preceptor had pre-printed the 75 question exam keys and posted them up on the walls of the classroom. Students were allowed to view their scantrons and walk around the classroom to check the test questions they had missed or that they had concerns about. Students were also allowed to review the drug calculation portion of the exam. My preceptor stated that she was pleasantly surprised because about 75% of the students attended this exam review, when in the past, only about 20% of students had attended, and they were generally the students who had done well. I have noticed that many of the students who did well on the exam still like to review their exams and seek positive reinforcement, which tends to be a good learning technique. Unfortunately, several students who had not done so well did not attend the exam review which I feel may harm them in the future. I suppose as an educator all you can do is guide them in the right direction and offer suggestions, the rest is up to the student.

As part of the academic plan for these students, at-risk students are required to attend student counseling meetings with the course instructor. Students should schedule an appointment to see the instructor if they scored less than 70% on the exam. My preceptor created a questionnaire/document for these student counseling sessions, which I found to be a great assessment and documentation tool. It incorporated all of the factors—including things from a student’s attendance and study habits to issues in their lives like work and family matters—all of which play a role in a student’s performance. It was interesting for me to be a part of this review process, because I was able to observe and understand the reasons that students are struggling in the course while allowing me the option to try to help them through their difficulties. These personal meetings provided the instructor and myself the opportunity to talk with students one-on-one, and offer available resources including tutors, learning centers, study groups, and additional references including helpful textbooks and even websites. I really thought it was nice to talk with the students on such a personal level, and found that it was far less intimidating for them than talking about issues while other students are around. It also gave me a chance to get to know some of the students a little bit better. This was a great experience to be a part of, and I’m sure these meetings help contribute in a positive way to the reason that UTA has such a high graduation rate. I was told recently that UTA’s nursing school graduate rate is one of the top five in the state, which is definitely something to be proud of!

My preceptor and I ended the day in a brief discussion about the events of the day, our thoughts on the day, and we talked about a plan for the following week. All in all it was an interesting day—long but interesting—and I was really appreciative of the learning experience I gained that day! Hope that everyone’s experiences have been as educational and as positive as mine has!

Well that's it in a nutshell for day two. Take care everyone and bye for now…