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Working With Students

Carly Langlois edited this page Aug 19, 2019 · 16 revisions

Communication

Positive and productive communication between instructors, TFs, and students is vital to a successful class.

Be Empathetic and Positive

Students will be looking to instructors, TFs, and the curriculum for knowledge and guidance. Have empathy when speaking to students, and remember that learning to code is not an easy task. Keep in mind that we all learn at different speeds and in different ways. Be supportive and patient as the students demonstrate and describe their issues. Acknowledge their success, listen to their worries, and answer their questions in a clear, attentive, and polite manner.

Stand By the Curriculum

Help LaunchCode make the course better and maintain the students trust in the curriculum by following these rules:

  • Please send feedback, suggestions, and bug reports to a LaunchCode staff member
  • Do not speak negatively of the curriculum in front of the students
  • Do not teach topics or tools that are not in the curriculum
    • It's OK to mention other topics or tools to enrich the students, but these should not be done in place of the established lesson plans

Student Status in the Class

LaunchCode staff controls student enrollment. If there is a question about a student's enrollment status, please contact a LaunchCode staff member. If a student is asking about their status, they should also contact a LaunchCode staff member.

Common Student Issues

Students Falling Behind

Students fall behind for many reasons. When students fall behind they tend to try and catch up during class, and that only makes the problem worse. Students should focus on the current in-person instruction and studio. Students can catch up on the reading and exercises at home, or they can attend office hours for help with the missing content.

Skipping Course Activities

Often students will fail to do the prep work before class. The in-person instruction is meant as a review and NOT a replacement for the prep work. This causes the student to fall behind on the concepts, which might lead the student to NOT participate in the studio assignment. That begins a cycle of the student missing multiple steps of a deliberate learning path, which leaves the student constantly feeling behind. For this scenario, encourage the students to focus on the current class task and fill in the missing prep work at home.

Another reasons students skip the studio is to work on the graded programming assignments. While these assignments are very important, they should be mainly worked on at home. Students can ask questions and request help during down time in class or after they finish a studio. Students should NOT skip in-class activities to work on their assignments.

Poor Attendance

Students are required to attend class. Attendance is the clearest factor for success. Attendance is taken by TFs and reported to LaunchCode. LaunchCode reserves the right to withdraw students due to excessive absences.

Make it clear to students that class attendance is required and crucial for success. Attendance exceptions can be made by LaunchCode staff. Have students contact LaunchCode staff regarding planned absences or scheduling conflicts.

Keeping Advanced Students Engaged

Some students learn the material very quickly and become disengaged by the class pace. Working ahead in the class is discouraged. Advanced students can be an asset to staff and other students. Suggest to advanced students that they can help fellow students instead of working ahead. This encourages collaboration, and it increases the opportunity for one-on-one help during studios.

Cheating

Unfortunately some students try to get through the class by having other people complete their course work. One warning sign of this is a student who shows few signs of understanding the concepts in class but turns in perfect solutions for assignments. If cheating is suspected, please contact LaunchCode staff immediately.

Student Considering Dropping Out

Sometimes students express intent to drop out of the class. Please listen to the students with empathy. You should notify LaunchCode staff and also have the students contact LaunchCode staff for support and guidance.

Students think about withdrawing for a number of reasons, some of which are unavoidable and require dropping the course. However, for those who consider dropping out due the difficulty of the class, remind them that their feelings are valid. Everyone struggles with the class at some point. Verify that the student is taking advantage of help in person or via Slack.