How We Created a Nonprofit to Help College Students Excel
And how I expanded from my serving the students in my classes to my serving students nationwide
By Richard Leon Linfield, Ph.D., with Leilani Darling, J.D.
I was teaching six classes of about 30 students each, and I was angry. I had a problem. How could I reach students individually to help them learn adequately, not just listen to my lectures?
My personal values as a teacher are to encourage students in every way to help them succeed. This includes appreciating them for who they are and what they do.
My wife Leilani Darling (Leilani-8549) is a spiritual self-help counselor. We live in an isolated place in rural New Mexico where we write and study. Here we’re planning a training center for college instructors and staff.
With Leilani’s help, I started a website to promote my student encouragement project.
Anyone interested in growing can use the tools on our website. It’s not limited to college students. It’s at www.successincollegestudies.com.
For my students, the website quickly resulted in better grades and better subject matter understanding. Students wrote strong testimonials for the website.
When the time came for me to retire from classroom teaching, I decided that I wanted to maintain the website and expand it to help college students everywhere in the U.S. We opened a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to publish the site, and are seeking a manager to obtain sponsorships and donaions.
My philosophy of education
As basic issues in teaching, I help students develop a positive mindset. I also assist them in learning in an active way. This means that I advise them to talk with the instructor and with their fellow students about the subjects they’re learning. I encourage them to deeply examine the principles of the academic courses they’re taking.
Before I retired, my courses were introductions to college writing and philosophy. To learn anything helpful in these topics, it’s important for the student to engage the subjects personally, not just memorize principles and rules.
My experience is that students need personal attention in the classes they take, especially those such as English and philosophy. I was mad that the system didn’t make enough room for personal conferencing between students and instructors.
I’ve always encouraged students to go to the college writing center for individual tutoring. That helps somewhat, but not enough.
I would see a few of my students after class or during my office hours. I had nearly two hundred students to reach, and therefore I had too little time to help individuals.
The current system on most campuses
At most colleges, the system consists of one or two class meetings a week for each course, plus assignments to be turned in. Only a limited amount of instructor’s office hours are available each week.
This doesn’t leave much room for one-on-one student-instructor conferencing. In this conferencing, many good learning experiences could occur if time were given for it.
English and philosophy are very helpful because they teach good writing and clear understanding. These skills help students succeed in all the other subjects they take. Quality writing and understanding are, after all, greatly important for math and psychology and history and any other course.
A tough semester
Once, I had a semester that was particularly tough on me as a professor. I had many students with unusually high potential. They made stimulating contributions in class and were crying out for deeper and more creative work. Yet there was not enough in-class time to cover more than the essentials.
Sometimes I assigned in-depth writing, yet quickly became overwhelmed. I didn’t have enough time to read and evaluate long assignments.
A website to help college students and others with personal growth
My wife has written books on her philosophy of positivity. She helps me as a teacher in every way. Together, we created a plan for a new website that would not just give assignments, but would also encourage students to find their strengths and improve their motivation.
The website includes help with self-knowledge, self-image, work habits and many areas of personal growth.
After a few weeks, I asked my students how the website was working for them. Audrey came to me after class. She’d gone from writing C+ essays to earning A’s. Had the website helped her do that?
“It wasn’t so much learning to write better,” she said. “It was learning more about myself and coming to appreciate myself more. I developed more confidence in myself. This motivated me to be sure that every sentence expressed something clearly.”
Creating help for students online
Learning is a life-long proposition, and it’s my passion. I gain a great deal from witnessing how students improve. Even though I’m no longer in the classroom, I’m creating in-depth, detailed help for students online.
Therefore, even in retirement, I still have the opportunity to help many students enjoy learning and changing. I’m so grateful for that! 😊
Richard Leon Linfield, Ph.D. and Leilani Darling, J.D. are a writing team in New Mexico. He’s a retired professor of English and philosophy who coaches students and teachers. She’s an attorney and the author of How to be Happy: The Shocking Truth. Together they publish www.SuccessInCollegeStudies.com. To read Leilani’s spiritual philosophy, see www.connectwithyourheartandsoul.com. To subscribe to their newsletter, click here.
