Opportunity at the End of the Term

Faculty, coaches, and advisors working with today's students may find that many tend toward transactional functioning. As stated in this article reviewing the 2022 book by Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner entitled The Real World of College, "undergraduate students have increasingly adopted a transactional approach to college characterized by overemphasis on labor market preparation and financial returns to a degree." This can translate into students focusing on performance goals -- the grades and degree that should lead to the desired job and earnings. This transactional approach can increase toward the end of the term, as students want to get that final project done, get the final completed, get the grade, and put the experience behind them. As for learning, it often gets lost in the process, if it ever was there in the first place. Lifelong learning and follow through are crucial to success in any field.

When coaches meet with students at the end of the term, they have an opportunity to use powerful questions to shift the focus back to learning. They can help students stop for a moment and reflect on what they did and did not get out of their coursework during the term, what they need to keep with them and use in the future, and how they might want to adjust their approach in the future to deepen their learning, satisfaction, and growth.

Here are some questions coaches can use to open students' minds to possibilities as they wrap up their coursework and prepare for a summer of meaningful work and/or continued learning:

• What course material will stay with you the most, and why do you think that is?

• Which course are you most relieved to complete? What knowledge do you need to retain from that course, and how can you do your best to hang on to it?

• Looking back, what did you learn that seems most useful to you?

• What would you like to do differently next term to improve your learning experience? How can you make that change?

• How is your learning connected to your career goals?

• How is your track record with learning indicative of your professional track record in the future?

• How would you describe your most significant improvement as a learner during this term?

Even as learners can improve, so too can coaches. Our learning and our professional successes are inextricably related. Join LifeBound for our June Three-Day Inclusive Coaching class and our summer Coaching Certification Cohort and continue your learning focus even as you guide your students toward more effective learning. 

Three-Day Inclusive Coaching

Register for June 19, 21, 23 Class

Coaching Certification Cohort

Register for Summer Cohort by May 25