Walking out the door

As I delve deeper into Brookfield's book on college teaching I came across a truth of his that rings clearly on experiences we have seen and continue to include at our college.

Walking out the door.

Let me explain.

Brookfield's experience was bringing in senior students who did not like the class when they took it (but later got something out of it) to speak to his new class of doubtful faces. He then walked on out the door, leaving them to have authentic conversations, without his supervision. This he feels allows the students to have a better sense of trust in what they are being told about how the class will become useful to them. There is no filter of "well, he's being paid to say that". These grads have no vested interest in feeding them anything but their own experiences.

We do this in a few ways, though differently, and for the same reasons. When prospective students indicate interest in our program, we set them up as students for a day, give them the opportunity to have complementary treatment in the student clinic, and when deemed helpful, put them in contact with graduates that had similar questions, concerns of trajectory plans. (Examples have been people coming from Kineseology programs wondering if they should try to get exemption from some classes, single parents, wondering what to expect with the schedule and work load, and mature students wondering if anyone else in there late 50's has done this program, and how do you manage to keep up with the 18 year olds?)

By sitting in as student for a day, prospective candidates mingle with student and have a chance to get answers from the trenches as it were. No filter, no management guiding anything. The same when receiving treatment in student clinic. Other than a brief check in, the candidate has about an hour to pick the brain of the student on any topics they want.

As the custom occurs almost weekly, the students become accustom to explaining and sharing their experiences. Often it help them realize just how far they have come from that first step in the door, which is good for their confidence too!

This is image is from Spa Day 2017. Spa Day has been an after school event where senior students show juniors the tips and tricks they've learned about hydrotherapy applications whether for self care, clinic treatment of in outreach. The precedence for this originating from the class where this was taught having a percentage of students just "didn't get" why it mattered, or how it could be used. Spa Day was a student lead endeavor that was received very well, and has changed juniors attitudes about the tools they are being introcuded to.