Enhancing Student Retention

Public

Ask a question from your peers to help you in your professional work. Seek different points of view on a topic that interests you. Start a thought-provoking conversation about a hot, current topic. Encourage your peers to join you in the discussion, and feel free to facilitate the discussion. As a community of educators, all members of the Career Ed Lounge are empowered to act as a discussion facilitator to help us all learn from each other.

Peter Staffa

expectations

I let my expectations known to the students and they are well aware of the objectives they have to meet by the end of the class.

Ashlyn Russell

Instructor's Are Human

It is important to remember that instructors are human and in adult education we are teaching our peers of all ages. I have found that the more "real" I am and relatable to my students, the better my course outcomes are. They need to see us as human and not unreachable so that they are not scared to ask for help or assistance when needed. I believe one of the biggest attributes of a teacher or human being is to be approachable.

Kathleen Meskunas CHEP

students as customers

I try to break the information regarding the class down and give them examples that they can relate to so they understand the material. Afterall they are customers paying for a service.

Jeremiah Gomez

Motivation

The issue I have with motivation is that I teach science courses at a design school. Most students are here because they have no interest in science. I find that showing interesting or crazy videos or pictures helps increase interest and thus motivation. any similar experiences?

Jeremiah Gomez

Refocusing

I think post term/semester refocusing is a good idea. Throw out what did not work or students didn't like and try something else. It is always good to have your course evolve over time. Any thoughts?

Jeremiah Gomez

Rapport

I think rapport with students is the most important factor when teaching. Even if the content isn't great or if the course is poorly organized, students can get a lot out of a class that has an instructor that demonstrates this ability.

Jeremiah Gomez

Students as a Resource

I often have students that know a lot more about a particular topic than I do due to their career experiences. In these cases, the student can be a great resource during a class discussion for the other students as well as myself.

Jeremiah Gomez

Tangents

I have learned that a good method to keep students engaged is to explore tangents in the subject matter that come up during class. I teach Anthropology and Environmental Science though most of my background is in Biology. So when an interesting question comes up, it is sometimes fun exploring it even if it does not directly relate to content. It sparks interest in the class and gives students something to remember.

Pandora Neiland

Mystery Motivation

I was glad to see mystery listed as a motivation. I have often been perplexed as to why a student made the decision to be in school. Listing it as a motivator made me realize it is ok if I cannot pinpoint the reason they are in my classroom. Sometimes it is just a mystery!

Lisa Dellapina

candy makes math fun

I have 3 weeks of my 6 week course that is focused on math. Most of my students are not motivated to work on math problems during class. I offer candy to those that will come up to the board and try a problem, they don't need to get it right, just try.

William Bruns CHEP

Class rewards

I teach a public speaking course. Only one student is rewarded with a special #2 pencil for the best daily presentation. A different student is rewarded each time. I have former students come up to me and tell me they still have the pencil they 'earned' during my class. It actually becomes competitive for this reward.

Pandora Neiland

The advantageous mix of traditional and adult learners

I try to take advantage of the differences between these 2 different groups. the older students can share real-life career experiences while the younger learners add a contemporary twist. It can help both in learning.

Yordy Brito Aguila

nursing students on accelerated programs

Nursing program is really short;15-18 months is a really challenge. Important tool is just teach by outline or keep points using the board a lot to breaking down concepts. I learned in 4 years experience that the majority of the students are adults and visual learners to keep them engaged and motivated the traditional class (lecture)does not work to much. We made some changes and introduced more videos, diagrams, schemas.

Elizabeth Singleton

motivating students

i tend to motivate my students by sharing positive work experiences. this gives them something to look forward to when they completet their program and also gives them a solid foundation. it also gives them a positive outlook that someday their hard work will pay off.

Elizabeth Singleton

rapport and boudaries

what is the line between building rapport and crossing personla boundaries?? the line is thin and often hard to manage at times

Elizabeth Singleton

hands on

i teach massage and hands on while explaining material seems to work best for me and my students

Elizabeth Singleton

adult students

in my experience i have often felt intimidated with teaching students older than me. im 30 and some of my students are sometimes 20 years older..anyuone else have this problem??

Greg Drakulich

Adult Learners

Hello: I teach at an intercity career college so most of my students have issues outside of the classroom that are serious to them. Their life style is not what we would call normal to us but it is to them. We have to find ways to keep the studen motivated to achieve their goals and stay focused on them all the time. The drama that is in their life can change at any minute and they will try to drop school in a New York minute. We often hve student appreciation to help keep their mind on school and that they belong here.

Angela Ramsey

Student motivation

This training was valuable in learning strategies to improve student motivation and confidence in the classroom. Specifically, learning about constructivism to help boost security and relating course material to student career fields to illustrate value in the course and support autonomy.

Travia Harris

Developing Rapport with International Students

Does anyone have tips for students who desire to develop rapport with a student from another country. I have a student that has had difficulty developing rapport with a student from Europe. As an Instructor, I have tried to pair the students, however, the student from Europe constantly snubs the other student

Related Learning Opportunities

ED102 - Student Retention Methods

ED112 - Influencing Student Motivation

ED144 - Student Empowerment for Learning Success

ED209 - Students as Customers

ED406 - Motivating Others

ED409 - Gamification in the Classroom

ED410 - Increasing Student Retention by Flipping the Classroom