Question
When I went to school over 20 years ago, we had many different age groups in our class. It was a Master’s program and there were some older people and younger people in there. Do you ever approach the different age groups differently or do you try to come up with something that meets in the middle for all ages?
Answer
It depends on what the class is about. I will share something that has been very unique. I had some older, very experienced therapists that I linked up with small groups of very young, entry-level first-year students. The interaction was lovely. The more experienced professional students in the doctoral program had a chance to share their knowledge and practice working with the younger generation, and the younger, entry-level occupational therapy students had a chance to ask some very candid questions. That was one way in which I paired several different generations together. What I am finding with some of the therapists that have heard this particular presentation is that they find managing some of the level II students to be a challenge, not just the content, but the difference in the communication and workplace styles. For example, there are differences seen in arrival time, staying late, asking for time off, asking if they have to stay for all of the different trainings that they are expected to go through, etc. Some educators, as we dialogue with each other, are sharing observations about the younger generation and how our teaching is changing, and how can we bridge it for the different generations.
