Photo by Steve Baer | FireDog Photos
“Bruh, who’s your inspo … skibidy …” If you have no idea what I just said, you’re not alone.
We all remember the first day … the first day of a new school year, the first day of a first job, and the first day of your emergency services experience. In those instances, you can look back and say, “I can remember so-and-so, who was an example of what I want to be.”
In other cases, you can look back and say, “I don’t ever want to be like that person.” Those target memories are a significant part of why students may seem harder to teach or connect with in today’s environment.
If you feel like you don’t understand this generation, then there’s a good chance you really don’t understand them, and that’s OK. The challenge is recognizing the missing gaps by connecting and saying, “How can I help you?”
FAILure is OK
To hear you have “failed” is a core memory or trigger for many, as it often signifies the end. In the current learning environment, it’s essential to explain that FAIL is just an acronym: First Attempt In Learning. As an instructor, you should validate your students by informing them you’re not there to fail them; you’re there to equip them for success with the right tools, lessons, and mindset. Honestly, you’re not a good instructor if you consistently fail people.
So, how do you support and guide a generation you don’t know? The first thing is to avoid the trap of illusory superiority. Just because you think you’re good at doing something doesn’t mean that you are without validation. Today’s students will sniff out a fake in a heartbeat.
Use your previous experiences as the backbone of your confidence, and be humble when challenged or asked, “Well, how do you know?” Your ability to speak is one thing; your ability to reference, or more accurately, quickly search for additional support (such as a web article or video) will go a long way towards connecting with your audience.
Define the Why
Students who have failed or missed an objective need immediate feedback and support. Many emergency service organizations use the PACE communication methodology. The process examines communication delivery through primary, alternative, contingency, and emergency communication modes.
The process should be applied to connect with your members who missed the mark. Acknowledge it (primary) when someone fails and show them exactly why or how they failed. Then, explain (alternative) that it’s OK to fail and share stories of how your failures may have led to significant accomplishments. If your stories don’t connect, find someone in your organization (contingency) or within their learning circle who has gone through similar challenges and see if they can relate. When none of those connections work out, it may be time to turn the tables (emergency) and ask the students to describe their expectations and outcomes for the given objective.
Clearly defining objectives and outcomes has been a staple of negative feedback for students across various learning environments. “I didn’t know how to, what you meant by, or why it had to be done …” is echoed daily. A quick root-cause analysis would show there was a definition or description of the required outcomes. Still, there was never any validation that the student understood what those outcomes meant. Just because it is in writing does not mean someone actually read it.
Today’s classes should be planned with the end goal in mind. Instead of saying, “Today’s objectives are,” it’s better to say, “By the end of this class, you will be able to do the following.” Clearly communicating the expected outcome upfront gives students a baseline to assess their understanding throughout the lesson.
You should continuously evaluate your audience. This could involve reviewing smaller sections after each break or designing activities that allow students to demonstrate their grasp of the material. For example, a group activity on a dry-erase board where students are given five key terms and asked to define them in their own words.
The Quiet Ones Are OK
Every organization has them, the quiet ones. They come in, do their job, and go on about the day without much interaction, and that’s OK. If they are silent and do well in class, then a quick check-in is all that may be needed from time to time.
Additional resources may be required if they are quiet and do not understand the material. These could be internal or external resources, depending on your organization. The key is to be observational and engaging but not overbearing.
There is often a motivational factor in most students. Find out what their motivation or enthusiasm is and how they can use that to relate to the class.
If You Need Me, I’ll Call You
Regardless of your rank, we can all be mentors to someone. The higher up in the organization you go, the farther that reach might be, including having multiple individuals you mentor across various levels.
As an instructor and/or mentor, you must be proactive and anticipate the potential pitfalls ahead for your team. Drawing on previous experiences helps guide this process and prepares you for the challenges of learning and growth. The key is you will be there to support them, learn from them, and grow with them. You can guide them through constant feedback, course correction, and understanding, without holding their hands the entire time.
The key is to know what lies ahead and how you may have dealt with similar issues, and assure your personnel, “if you need me, I’ll call you.” As your instructor or mentor, I will be so far ahead of your growth that I’ll be there to catch you even before you fall.
If you are still wondering, here’s the answer: “Bruh (brother), who’s your inspo (who is your inspiration), skibidi (that’s cool or that’s nice) …”
