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we as educators can certainly do what we can to help our students in any way possible. I had a student in another marketing class that never came to class. I knew she was bright and knew that something was wrong. I then find out that she came from a home in which domestic violence was prevalent and I tried to reach to her, giving her special accommodations and extra time to finish work and I also referred her to the college Dept of Psychological Services. I found in this business, I have been not only a professor, but I have had to be "counselor", "friend" and even "mommy" to some students. That is that makes it all rewarding. Prof L > In my years of working with underprepared, or at-risk type > of students, instructors can be contributors to a student's > withdrawal....we can't always be responsible for what turns > them off, but we should be sensitive to the fact that some > things we do will have a negative effect. > > Some of our students are on such wobbly ground emotionally > about their fit in the university environment, the cultural > differences they are encountering, the racism, and the huge > family and emotional problems they may be facing on the > homefront, that it takes just that one straw to break them. > > > I remember one such student of mine that has made me work to > set the tone with my own staff ever since. THis student was > really tentative about whether or not he was going to make > it in school. He was very bright, but had lots of other > problems and self-esteem issues stacked against him. I > finally talked him into going up to the computer lab (which > he was very intimidated by) about three weeks late in the > semester. The lab coordinator, who had a reputation for > being a "tough love" kind of person, sarcastically chided > him when he came in for not doing so sooner. That was the > last that any of us saw of him. > > Now, I'm not saying we could have saved him if she had been > nicer, but I am saying that we all need to think about the > negative things we put in front of students without meaning > to. Friendliness and a supportive may buy us enough time to > start to reverse the damage these students bring with them > initially and give them the boost they need to persevere. > Sue Lorraine Lavorata E-MAIL: [log in to unmask]