Struggling with Low Student Engagement in a Low-Rated College: How Do IIMs Inspire Success?

Hello everybody,

I am teaching in a low-rated college in M.P. I wish I could bring the students' level up and groom them. Poor attendance, less interest, and low grades in continuous lectures are the main problems. Could anybody guide me about the curriculum followed by IIMs and how management students excel and reach the top there while our students fail, and in turn, we fail too?

Your suggestions are valuable. Please help; it may reform the future of many students.

Dear Ms. Khare,

Your frustration is understandable, but I also admire your keenness to ensure that your students can compete with the best.

However, using the IIM standards to benchmark your institution might be both unfair to your students and equally distressing for you since the standards are vastly different. Comparing a 60% student with a 90% student is unfair since their caliber is different. Obviously, the attitude and ability of the students in your college would be very different from those going to IIMs.

Very few of your students will have a competitive mindset, so pushing them hard on academics may be counterproductive. If you focus on increasing their self-belief, drawing out their subtle talents and skill sets, and helping them discover their potential, you will observe a positive change that comes from within them.

One effective technique is to make learning immediately applicable to their daily life if possible. This reinforces learning and motivates them to learn further. Backbenchers, hyperactive, and mischievous students need special attention through responsibilities and appreciation. This approach may draw their attention to their strengths and invoke their personal pride.

I invite you to visit the following Inspirational and Motivational Blogs to understand how learning can be made practical:

- www.actspot.wordpress.com – Daily Blog
- www.poweract.blogspot.com – Weekly Blog

From an academic perspective, considering your students' standard, set question papers that are not overly tough. Make the papers more student-friendly by providing more options and incorporating a mix of theory and practicals to give students a fair chance to score. Ensure all topics in the syllabus are covered in periodic tests or semester exams without diluting the learning. Be fair in marking, and if possible, meet each student to analyze their answer sheets. Providing feedback on their performance is crucial for students to realize their mistakes and improve. Despite being a cumbersome and occasionally thankless task, giving feedback is essential.

Best Wishes

Subject: Acknowledgement and Appreciation

Dear Simhan Sir,

I am grateful and honored to receive an email from such a senior person. My sister is also teaching in Scotland. I thank you, sir, for enlightening me. About me, presently, I am studying HR subjects. I am new to the education field, exploring new ideas, and on my way to increasing my knowledge and clearing my concepts.

I wonder if I can become a good academician, or else I will leave this profession.

Regards,
Varsha