Análisis de los requerimientos de la aplicación

Establishing and informing students of classroom expectations was another way that both the instructor and the peer model demonstrated care and concern. One way the instructor and peer model helped students manage their expectations was to inform them of what to expect from other instructors, to explain that the personal attention they received was unique to the Arithmetic class. Helping students understand faculty expectations is essential because it does not leave students to interpret expectations on their own and it improves their chances for success. The peer model played an important role in helping students understand expectations set by the instructor. She also helped students understand the importance of setting their own expectations, of aiming high and thinking about what might be possible.

Francisco was influenced by Eve’s words of encouragement as he indicated that previously in high school and when he first attended college, he “just didn’t care” because he did not have the support or a role model. Setting and maintaining

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expectations for students and helping them develop the skills necessary to meet

expectations demonstrates support. Jennifer expressed her disappointment with another instructor who expressed low expectations for students and who shared his unhappiness about teaching at the college. Not only did she perform poorly in that class, she dropped mid-semester. The instructor had set low expectations for students and she reported that she had not done well, “’cause I didn’t get that feeling.” Jennifer interpreted low

expectations in a class as an indication of the instructor’s lack of passion for the subject. “I could tell they didn’t like their job. They’ve told us they don’t like their job. They told us they were just [at the college] waiting to go to another. They don’t generally care…why should I?”

Setting and maintaining expectations for classroom behavior was particularly important to Anthony who felt that the instructor did not consistently hold students accountable or maintain the conditions she had established (locking the door once class began). He believed that if the instructor maintained behavioral expectations for the class, students might be less disruptive.

Coping with unfamiliar expectations is an important skill college students must develop in order to be successful. For some students, learning this skill is critical to their personal growth and academic success. The peer model taught students how to cope with unfamiliar expectations during SI sessions and in personal conversations. Eve shared the story of the upset student who during the SI session was frustrated with students laughing at her and began to yell. Eve advised her that yelling at students was not an effective way to handle the situation and provided her with coping skills she could use in the future that would be consistent with college student behavior. A few of the student participants

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suffered traumatic events that affected their coping strategies and hampered their college student identity development. They appreciated having access to the peer model and instructor who could offer ways of addressing situations that were consistent with being a college student. Having access to resources helped students modify their behaviors so that they could meet the instructor’s expectations. Pam felt it was important that her students understood that they would not receive the same type of assistance they received in her class and that they needed to develop coping skills in order to adjust to different expectations.

Francisco understood the significance of expectations on student behavior stating that he was informed by the peer model in the SI sessions and he appreciated Eve’s reminders to “do your homework” and “don’t procrastinate.” He also found the peer model’s translation of the instructor’s expectations to be helpful. “It’s been helpful because it helps us understand what the teacher’s looking for….And just the fact that like she tells us what the teacher’s looking for, it does really help, so…we’re doing what the teacher wants us to do.” Anthony offered suggestions for enforcing expectations when asked what might make the class better for him. “I think she [the instructor] needs to enforce her rules a little bit harder….Again, it just goes back to the kind of student though that’s going to be in a [Arithmetic] class and I just feel that she needs to stick to her guns on the strictness….” He was frustrated with late-arriving students well into the eighth week of the semester and after the instructor had said that she would lock the door when class began. He associated students arriving late to class with “high school

behavior.” “I think just a lot of it just comes from the level of maturity that varying students have, I guess, and their outlook on it and then how they treat the courses. I

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mean, a lot of them don’t really care to be there, but they don’t realize that their not caring can be like annoying and distracting to other people.”

In my role as the college’s student discipline officer, I have met with students who were frustrated and confused by an instructor’s expectations because they differed from previous classes. In particular, I have seen students angry with an instructor when the instructor did not offer the same level of assistance the student experienced in a previous class. Understanding faculty expectations can be challenging for students, in particular those who are unfamiliar with or underprepared for college. Students may act out in class when they don’t understand why an instructor doesn’t provide them with answers and instead, expects students to figure things out on their own. This is a particular challenge for students enrolled in basic skills math classes who become frustrated and disruptive when instructors do not walk them through every step of a problem. I have explained that learning math requires more than copying steps to solve a problem and that there is the expectation that students become independent learners and figure out next steps. Students are often surprised by this news and acknowledge that in high school, each step of a math problem was provided. I have seen many students for whom the banking approach to education (Freire, 1970) is most familiar and they become frustrated when instructors expect students to be critical thinkers rather than recipients of information.

Becoming a college student requires a process of identity development including “the transformation to self-authorship” (Baxter Magolda, 2005, p. 93). Student identity development involves a process where students redefine themselves and their

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Magolda, 2005). The peer model played an important role in student identity

development as she explained expectations of students in a college setting. She spoke of expectations that the current instructor had as well as future instructors’ expectations, including those at the four-year college. She helped students define their relationship to the instructor, how to approach her, what to discuss with her, and what they might expect from her. Explaining these expectations helped most of the student participants feel that they belonged in college and that they could be successful.

For several student participants, a number of challenges made meeting

expectations complicated. Family responsibilities, poverty, employment, use of public transportation, and poor health caused students to miss classes, not complete homework, or feel unprepared. Other students made choices that reflected their inability to meet expectations or their limited understanding of expectations. For example, Anthony’s plan to leave town and miss a day of class because he felt he needed to get away indicated his unwillingness to meet the instructor’s expectation that he attend class. While Anthony acknowledged that he did not study enough, he shared that he and a friend scheduled a three-day trip that would require him to miss Friday classes in a few weeks. “We need to get out and we’re going to L.A. for the weekend.” When asked about how his time constraints might affect his grades he said, “In the math, I’m pretty sure I can walk away with at least a B.” He was fairly certain that he would fail his two other classes. While he acknowledged the challenges of managing his time, he seemed convinced that he would figure things out, that he liked having flexibility, and he needed to have some balance in his life. Figuring things out also afforded him flexibility and kept him from being accountable to those who could help.

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While discussing expectations of students and student choices, the instructor shared a story about two students who expected her to accept their late homework because they wanted to stand in line for the latest electronic gadget instead of attend class. “I had to talk to two students, Eve talked to one, ‘cause they thought it was more important to go stand in line to get the new iPhone 5 then come to class and wanted to know if they could turn their homework in late and I was like, ‘No.’” She went on to say, “So sometimes the interventions are a little bit rough and they’re done with like, love. I really, truthfully, I’m like, ‘I’m doing this with love ‘cause some other instructor’s just gonna drop you.’” These are examples of student choices that are inconsistent with faculty expectations and highlight the importance of faculty articulating and enforcing expectations for behavior so that students fully understand the impact of their decisions.