I teach in higher education and there has been a huge shift in the last 20 years over how students view their professors and their coaches. I'm good friends with the FAR at our school and talk to him constantly about this. I teach at a D-1 university.
20 years ago, students would respond to negative criticism and drill sergeant tactics. They felt they were being pushed against a wall and the only way to "prove" themselves was to overcome that adversity. A lot of students responded to it well. I was that type of prof. Someone who basically smacked my students around the whole semester knowing that I would get the best out of them in the end. And I did. They often thrived and got better in leaps and bounds.
The change started around 2010 or so. I distinctly remember overhearing a student say to another "Nothing I do is right for Prof. ClockworkOrange, so why the hell should I keep working hard?" The attitude was that I had not given enough positive feedback to this student so they shut down. The fact of the matter is - I never really gave positive feedback. The best I could do was "not too bad." I worked in an industry (journalism - specifically broadcast) that fed on the weak. If you couldn't hack it in my class you wouldn't hack it in the real world. That tact served me well for a decade, but I noticed students were starting to tune it out and lose confidence the more I did that.
So I began to change. I began to find positive things that they did and mention it to them to help build them up. I became more constructive in my criticism and really made it a point to explain the "why" of what they'd done wrong. That's teaching, but honestly, it used to just be enough to tell them "don't do it like that again" and they wouldn't question, they just would do it.
What I've found today is that what students want more than anything is a mentor. Is a person they know they can trust, a person that has their back, and someone that is there to help them through the tough times. I don't necessarily think it's worse than before. In some ways, I think it's better. They're looking for a person they can look up to. They don't want a drill sergeant they want a gruff big brother who in the end is always in their corner. They want to know that the person they're learning from actually cares about them and what they do.
I have to say, my interactions with my students and former students today are much more in that vein. I need them to know that I am rooting for them and wanting them to achieve their absolute best and that's why I critique and harass them. I needed to open up a little bit more so they recognized that. I wanted that even back during my drill sergeant days but I didn't let them know it. I wanted to be the untouchable, unquestioned leader that they would follow anywhere. It's a different world today. They'll still follow me anywhere but it's because they trust and look up to me, and not because they're in awe of me. It's certainly a different ballgame, but these kids aren't "weak". They're looking for someone who they can respect and who they know truly cares about them as people. I think it's healthier in all honesty.
madison.com
