I have never considered this before but it is an excellent idea. It takes so much time orient the student myself if they have missed orientation, but if another student does it, they can also share some of their orientation experience as well as getting to know each other.

Students in a class, even if it meets only once per week, should treat each other as a family or support system. I have suggested, not forced, students exchange phone numbers and call each other if they have questions on assignments or just contact each other if they have issues related to school. I also mention that it should be a positive interaction only. This helps students to stay throughout the course and it also helps with interations and positive communication.

It is quite normal to be nervous about attending school even if you have attended another institution in the past and I try to remind students of that. It is often difficult to have an orientation for an individual class because most programs have accelerated courses that do not allow much time for students to get acquainted. I try to offer a "family" approach to my students on the first day. I explain that the relationship they have is much like a family and they can rely on each other. This usually helps them to get to know each other, and keep each other motivated.

I have found that many students drop out because "it's not the place for them." Students often choose career schools because they are not only searching for the best lectures and education, they are searching for an experience. They are their because the admissions person made them comfortable, the instructor allowed them to share their experiences and encouraged them to keep attending.

How does an institution maintain their retention, when economy is rough?

I am a new instructor and think that being a mentor to the students is very important. They seem to look up you more.

I believe, and agree with the statement that EVERYONE in the institution must understand that student success is the primary measure of our institutional success. And, with that being stated, I feel that our institutions Orientation should include ALL instructors. Since there is only one chance to make a first impression, I feel it would benefit both students and our school to put our best foot forward, and be introduced as Professionals to our students during Orientation.

The new student builds a relationship with the admissions advisor. If the rep is positive and engaging, the student is more apt to feel part of the school. They are also likely to refer more friends.

We send each student that makes the honor list for academic achievement a personalized note each quarter. The student gets a letter from the campus president and the admissions advisor. The response has been very positive and sends a motivating message to the student.

A student told me last week that she is passionate about working with animals in a zoo, and that she needs a 4-year degree in Zoology to achieve that life goal. So why is she in my Massage Therapy program? She had a vague idea that she might want to do massage on the animals, and maybe she could support herself doing massage while she worked her way through her Zoology program. But now she's wondering why she is here. I think what she needs is a specific vision for her future and a roadmap to help her get there. And in my opinion these should have been in place *before* she enrolled. So that when the inevitable stresses come, she could look on her fridge and see exactly what her plan is and why she's doing it. As program director, it falls to me to become her de facto guidance counselor and help her clarify her goals. If we determine that massage therapy is not a good match for her goals, she will leave with my blessing and our retention numbers will take yet another hit. She is not alone; a great many of my students only have a vague idea of why they are here. I'm wondering if a screening interview is needed to set expectations before we accept them into the program. Any thoughts?

intentionally make a part of my effort to asses the state of the individual and/or the total classroom. When either or all are in a poor state of mind their potential for learning is drastically decreased and thei impacts not only the individual but offer an opportunity for others in a more positive state to be dragged down. Sometime the notice that you notice and are making an effort to assist is enought to raise momentum on the emotional level and other times the state may involve some more direct intervention. it is a win-win situation for the student(s),classroom, and school environment.

I believe that beyond the course syllabus you can change a students life by interjecting life skills as well as encouraging them to read books that will help mold their attitude and outlook.

I believe that people don't care about how much you know as much as they know how much you care!

I believe that in any situation where you are teaching a course all technology should be paired with personal interactions as well.

We did not know, prior to this course, that our mystery shopper should be providing us data rather than opinion. This would definitely change the way we attack this process in the future. We can have them on a fact finding mission rather than doing our management job of evaluation of what was discovered.

Without our knowledge some of our staff sent a mystery shopper to our institution. When we heard the objective results of their visit, the shopped employee was watched more closely and ultimately fired for unacceptable behavior .

Parents have tremendous influence over their children's school choices so should they be invited into the process with a different approach toward customer service?

How can you build a loyal website user like Amazon?

I always when doing lecture try to use real world experinces, asking my students if it has ever happened to them, then explaining exactly where im going with it. It really seems to help them understand what im tring to say and they grasp the concept ten times better.

Hello, One of the topics mentioned is to pair up new students (late enrollees) with current students. I was wondering if anyone does this and how sucessful they feel it is. We have current students come to orientation and meet new students then, but they are not paired up on a buddy system. Thanks for your feedback!