I used to work as an instructional assistant at a community college. One evening I was making my rounds in the lab and noticed grey muddy footprints all over the shop floor so I followed them around though the library and into the shop where I met up with the student who made the mess. He was speaking with another student, so I went and got a mop and bucket and brought it to him and said "Here you go". He appologized and went off to mop up the muddy mess. The student he was speaking to informed me that the mud on his shoes was from the ash of his house as it had burned down in the forest fires that were raging at that time. Needless to say I felt about 2" tall at that point. NEVER assume anything.

I was told I would become an astronaut and that by the time I finished these courses I would have built my own personal spacecraft that I could keep! This is a statement similar to what I have heard from some students. The subject matter has been changed to protect the innocent. When you hear something like this though, you have to wonder, did somebody really tell them something like this or did they concoct a perception in their own mind of where this training would take them? I know that admissions reps are charged with the responsibility of recruiting a certain number of students and that they are typically going to paint the most attractive picture they can, but how do I know if a student is exaggerating or if a rep really did cross the line? In most cases, my feeling is that it is most likely a little of both. What I have seen though is that all it takes is for one student to make a statement like that, aloud in class, and there is a visible negative impact on many of the other students. If the student really was told he would become an astronaut, it is difficult to convince him that greasing the axles on the shuttle transport vehicle is an acceptable substitute. I sometimes use an analogy something like this: Attending the finest music school in the world can not guarantee that you will be a rock star, but it certainly won't hamper your efforts to get there. In addition to that, there are quite a few "astronauts" who graduated from this school.

We send out letters a week after students have left school to let them know we miss them and would like to se ethem come back. We make sure to personalize this letter with information specific to the individual student. Then 30 days after they have been gone, we will send a similar letter letting them know what they need to do to come back to school. We will often fowwol up with a phone call if we have not heard form them within 6 months. We also created a label for our envelopes when we send out these letters specific to our department so the students would not think it was a letter from our billing and collections department and just toss it aside.

I have seen recently a lot of students coming in and from the start have no focus and start the slippery road to poor attendence and failure right from the start. We work with these students as much as we can through mentoring coaching and whatever customer skills we can muster. You show as much as you can that you care through action not just words but the line to following the SOP's needs to be maintained. I have heard many of the students complain that not enough of the student body are held to a high standard. Caring does not mean to be lienient. It means having the courage to hold ourselves and the students to the highest standards.

You don't always have to be well trained to understand the students you are involved with in your classes. All you have to be is human. Also knowing how to direct them to other departments and services

OFTEN STUDENTS THAT LOSE TIME OR DON'T SHOW UP TO SCHOOL HAVE NO GUIDANCE FROM THIER PARENTS OR GARDIAN AND HOME LIFE HAS NO STABILITY THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME TO SCHOOL AND THAT THE SCHOOL WILL HELP THEM ANYWAY POSSIBLE TO MAKE THEM SUCCESSFUL

student goals can be supported by other students makeing a differert ways to to acheve leadership support

I agree that tutoring does reforce the student understanding , would help him form confdents in completeing his view..

IF a student is thing of droping out encourge him , find his goal to complete his future..

Take YOUR TIME TO FIND OUT THE , THE ANSWERS AND RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WILL GIVE THE STUDENT THE SOLITION...

Where is the line between Instructor help and carrying the students? Is there such a thing as too much help?

What is the best way to help keep the students views inline with reality versus the perception of reality.

During the first day to the last day of the class, you need to continue to reinforce the reason they are there, and what they need to do to complete there goal of higher education.

good info I feel it is somthing that should be done daily

i have found that by setting the disiplin level at the very start ,just like telling the student the courses coriculom will help the students understand what will be exspected of them throughout the course. this will also help the following instructors as well.

I have a coffee maker in the classroom. The first day of the class I make a pot of coffee and encourage anyone who would like a cup to enjoy. I then let them know if they would like to continue to have coffee it is up to them to supply the coffee. I let them know I will supply the other necessities for coffee(cups,cream,sugar). I also let them know if you finish the pot you refill the pot. This gives the students some responsibility,it promotes teamwork to keep the pot filled and the smell of coffee brewing is comforting to most.

On the first week i talk to them and tell them that there future employers will be looking at there records.

I think this is vary important that the students get introduced to the instructors so they get a view of him so they know what he look like

When a student come intack with a instructor when on touer that can help make up his or her mind

We occansionally have race teams come and use our chassis and engine dynos, this lets students work and talk with race team members. The students get an insight to what the teams are doing and what they may be doing in thier future.