Patricia Scales

About me

I've been a career educator for over 20 years. I currently serve as the Academic Coordinator for Brookstone College of Business and continue to be active in the classroom as a Business Instructor. My motto is "A student doesn't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." I was honored to receive the Career College Association National Teacher of the Year award in 2001. I just love teaching!

Activity

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Dealing with Unfocused Students

Hello Tim, Reinforcement from instructors is very important. Your unfocused students generally need reinforcement to increase their knowledge base. I will let the unfocused student know that I as a student was ALWAYS focused, and I would have private meetings with the unfocused students to tell them my reasons for ALWAYS being a focused student, and perhaps the conversations will help the student become focused. I will then find a colleague that had an opposite experience than mine so that the colleague could present the presentation based on what the unfocused student was going through. Patricia

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Getting Students Interested and Involved in Course Content

Hi Tom, Students typically like whenever an instructor incoporates fun with learning. The hands-on approach for the kinesthetic learner is a super idea as well. Touring the facility can also spark interest, especially when students get to view the room(s) where they will spend the majority of their time taking the core courses in their field of study. Students get excited about their specialized classroom(s). I am the computer guru, therefore my students are generally the "information technology students", and I can really excite them in the computer labs. Students enjoy all of my classes, I believe in having fun… >>>

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Common Instructor Mistakes

Hi Douglas, I too have a professional distance between my students and myself. I solely agree with you that the distance is a must. I have great rapports with my student, and they know that I care about each of them, but there is a line that has been drawn to seperate myself from the student. Students' learning of course is the main focus not buddyship. I have witnessed that some educators want to be their students buddy, and when it is time to get serious, the instructor is not looked upon as an instructor, but as one of the… >>>

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Common Instructor Mistakes

Hello Carl, Why not demonstrate/discuss all of the things that the students will learn and how useful everything will be. Students want to know on the first class meeting everything they have to look forward to for that particular grading period--these things are your selling points so that students will continue to come back to class. Students appreciate it when they do not have to every assignment for homework. Patricia

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Dealing with Challenging Students

Hello Jennifer, How much class time is used to talk about things other than class work, and generally what kind of things do you and your students talk about? How do you build a rapport with those students that only want to talk about the class work? My favorite motto is, "A student doesn't car how much you know until they know how much you care." It is super to have a great rapport with your students, but you as the instructor must know when to draw the line. Patricia

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Common Instructor Mistakes

Linda, You are right on point! You do not need to be the students' buddy. You are there to serve as their instructor by sharing your knowledge to take the student to a different level. You are not there to win a popularity contest! Respect is earned from leading by example. Once a student loses respect for you, you as the instructor has lost all credibility. It doesn't matter if the student likes you are not (it is nice if the student likes you), but what matters is that the student can learn from you and respects you. Patricia

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Dealing with Unfocused Students

Hello Joseph, I can agree for most people the transition from high school to career college is extremely tough. Students fully understand the concept from high school of being "spoon fed." Occassionally, I have to remind some of my students you are in college now, this is not high school. You must begin to study so that you can learn the information. Most students want to be told verbatim what they will be tested on, here again, they want to be spoon fed. Patricia

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Dealing with Challenging Students

Hello Rachel, Students really do welcome an open door policy. There are many students at the career college level that need encouragement. We are in this business to share our expertise, and you are exactly right by telling students their hard work will pay off. You will feel most proud whenever you get those phone calls, cards, notes, etc. stating, you were right, "My hard work is paying off." Patricia

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Dealing with Challenging Students

Hi Ken, You are absolutely correct! Address the issue immediately. If you as the authoritative figure purposely ignore issues, the matter will only get worse. Once students know where the stand in your class, you generally will not have any problems because they know you will not tolerate such behavior. I have had students that will show out in other instructors' classes, but they are an angel in my class because they know I will not tolerate certain behavior. I nip things in the bud immediately. I am a stickler for the school's rules, policies and procedures, and my students… >>>

Patricia Scales

Discussion Comment

Dealing with Challenging Students

Hi Linda, Students tend to enjoy a small class setting. It is certainly to your students advantage to have two instructors for six students. The one-on-one attention has to be awesome. I love it when I can have one-on-one with my students; I encourage them to pick my brain as much as they would like. Please try having a dsicussion after your clinical session; you and your students will thoroughly enjoy the discussion. You are most certainly welcome about the great idea! Patricia

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