Guided Response: Select two of your classmates’ posts and compare your reflections with theirs. Did you consider similar priorities? Do your classmates’ reflections cause you to reconsider your own? Share your thoughts in a reflective post to these classmates.  

Two priorities that I have learned that I will subsequently use to bridge my understanding of theory to daily practice are the following:

(1) To help my students to make meaning of their education and their experiences. This priority reflects Keagan’s theory; William Perry’s Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development, where l help adult pupils to make sense of their “unfolding views of the world” (Evens, Forney, Guido, Patton, and Renn, 2010, p. 833). As a lab instructor and tutor, I also try get them to construct meaning by getting students to think for themselves.

(2) To meet students where they are–in other words, work with them at their current levels of academic and personal development. Yes, I do want to challenge students to better themselves, but I do understand that I should not leave them to struggle on their own personally and academically  as some professors do (as a matter of fact, an instructor and I had a big disagreement on this very point this morning). College students who undergo too much academic and personal pressures tend to compensate by regressing (i. e. not caring about learning or skipping classes). I want them to stay in school and learn, so I will support their efforts regardless of who they are and work with them as they are.

References

Evans, N.J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research and practice (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.vitalsource.com

Two priorities that that I have learned in this course that I will now engage in to bridge student development theory with the daily priorities of student affairs are:

1. To identify concerns or enhancement opportunities that need to be addressed at that time with the specific student (Evens, Forney, Guido, Patton, and Renn, 2010). With all of the real-world events happening both on and off campus, student affairs professional must be aware of these events and be able to address them with the students.

2. To design intervention using methods that will encourage achievement of goals(Evens, Forney, Guido, Patton, and Renn, 2010). The number one goal of the advisor is to keep students focused on their goals.

References

Evans, N.J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research and practice (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.vitalsource.com