As instructors we pour our everything in to our students.  We are more than instructors.  We are motivators, inspirators, faith builders, a listening ear, shoulder.  Its devastating as an instructor to loose a student because ofretentiion, there has been instances where I wanted to call the student and plead with them not to leave.

I encourage the students to stay positive through lifes ups and downs. Which may be difficult but will eventually help them to succeed in life.

Above all, students need to be treated w/ respect. Empowering students to make an informed decision should be the practice for all professionals when working w/ student in Higher Education. Students are to always be encouraged to make their own decisions whether or not we the professional agrees with that decision. We can certainly advise them in what is in their best interest. However the decision needs to be their own and we should not be pressuring them. After all they are adults and will be making critical decisions in the professional experiences. We need to teach stduents independence and… >>>

I find that positive reinforcement goes far with my students!

This class reinforced my ideas of implementing more non-class related activities in order to get the students more involved and incorporate a better sense of community.  I feel that if they just come to class, and aren't involved any other way it's more likely that they will leave.  They need to feel a connection to the school.  Implement activities that are relevant to the industry also remind them why they are here.  It's easy to lose sight of them if you struggling in other areas of your life.  I look forward to taking more of these classes and gathering ideas.

I have enjoyed this class on retention. I think what really got my attention is the attention-retention. I have noticed that my students thrive off of knowing that they are part of the teacher's work life. I always try to find one thing personal I can remember about each student. I try to remember to address each student by name and give each student an opportunity to have some 1:1 communication time with me. I try to find out what their visions are so I can encourage them when times are difficult. This must be working because most of my… >>>

RT102 really makes it clear that there is a strong human factor in student retention.

RT102 was very enlightening for me. My institution stresses the importance of staying in contact with students in order to let them know that they are more than just their student ID number. However, I am learning that it takes more than just staying in contact with students (via phone calls and e-mails) to keep student's engaged. Students need to know that their instructor is available, accessible, and compassionate/considerate. It is a discouraging thing to hear a student say, "My instructor acts like he doesn't care. So I don't care either." Also, students want to be chanllenged. An easy-A may… >>>

Orientation has always been a big deal here.  It's always been an "all hands on deck" mentality here.  However, the first week of class outside of the classroom hasn't really been stressed as much.  I realize how crucial that week is, but I also now understand that it's just as important out of the classroom.  Most of our students are from out of town, and getting everyone together and involved in outside activities is extremely important for them.  After taking RT102, I am on a mission to create something new and fun for the students' first week in order to… >>>

I have been noticing that I have been losing a lot of my students half way through the term.  This usually corresponds with a big project that is due.  Any suggestions on how to help my students over this hurdle?

Students need guidance when they are young or old. School can be scarry, rewarding, overwhelming, and exciting all in a given day. How we address our hurdles in life help mold our character.

One of the biggest problems that I see in retention is poor setting of expectations by the admissions personnel.  I am not trying to place all of the problems of the world or the system on them .. but I have heard from too many students over the years statements such as:

But my admissions rep said that it would be OK for me to be 30 minutes late for class each night.

I was told that you would work with me on my needing to be absent.

I need to get out of class early to because my husband… >>>

I feel like we have to be mentors as well as shoulders to cry on sometimes. I enjoy getting to know my students as well as letting them get to know me.  They need to see that we are human too!  Sometimes they have obstacles that get in the way of life and their gettting to school.  We can sympathize with them because we have been there and done that.  It is very important for them to have all the moral support they can get.  We encourage study partners and exchanging of phone numbers from day one!

A student comes and says "I'm having a problem." We discuss it and solutions. The students selects the solution s/he decides the best, but never takes any steps toward action. Do you have suggestions on how to address this? It usually happens in gen ed classes, not core classes.

I think it is important to demonstrate empathy with all students no matter their situation.  Stress is subjective and many of us, as instructors can forget that not everyone has a strong sense of self worth.  Many times we get in the mind-set of "That's not THAT big of a deal."  or think "I've seen students conquer way more than that without stressing out."  But EVERY individual is different - with different support systems- different coping mechanisms- some are much stronger than others- Some have NEVER had anyone believe they can succeed therefore they are quick to give up on themselves.  Sometimes all… >>>

This course shows that while we may not think of retention as part of "our job" it really is everybody's job. Without students we would not be working. It is really more than a job those of us who work in education need to have a love for what we do. It gives me great joy to see students succeed. Many come with huge obstacles and with each step, each success we can see them transform. It is easy for educators to get bogged down with the day to day challenges this course was a good reminder of what is… >>>

This forum really made an impact on me as an Instructor... sometimes, it is easy for me to forget why I am here and forget the wonderful feelings I had when I first became an Instructor. Going through each section made me realize I need to get back to basics and connect with each and every student, each and every day. The students look to us for encouragement, insight, and wisdom, and it is our job as an educator, to be there for them. Knowing where our students came from and where they want to be int heir chosen career will… >>>

Its funny, I never thought my time in the industry working with customers would point me in the direction of instructor. Much of what I did in my industry was sale myself. Sometimes I was successful sometimes not. If I had confidence in the product I could sell it better. Having the same course material over and being the one delivering it, I am the product and salesman so to speak. So finding the value in the content I create and deliver, is not hard to find, and I can sell that idea and value to the student/customer.

Although I despise being trained by a computer, I enjoyed the content. Retention is a large part of my daily job responsiibilities and office function. I work in Student Services in a career college of over a 1,000 students. Although we may have a retention plan as well as a committee to discuss our current trends and how to improve, the forums provided me with additional ideas from other colleagues and what their thoughts are about improving retention.

This course provided me with a lot of insight.  At my school, instructors aren't really held responsible for retention nearly as much as the Student Services Coordinator.  It helps to see that it's the responsibility of the entire school and not just one person in order to keep students happily enrolled.  It also reinforced some of the ideas I already had such as instructor/student services communication, more activities in order to build a sense of community and better communication (newsletters, etc).  I also found it helpful to go to the forums and see that many others face the same struggles… >>>