Donald StamileCHEP

Factors such as personality, culture, ethnicity, finances, employment, commitment and problems outside of school can all effect a students chances of success.

There can be many factors that influence retention. From my experience, I believe students who lack focus on their school work do poorly and can cause them to quit or drop out.

Employing a variety of learning assessments, whether they be written, verbal or hands-on are tools that help both student and instructor measure learning ability, retention and progress.

I encourage questions from my students and ask them "Open ended" questions to get them to think about a subject. I like to use terms like "Why does it work that way" or "Explain the steps necessary to accomplish the task and why is it necessary to follow that procedure" for example. This method gets them to think deeper about the subject and therefore retain the subject matter easier and longer. It also gets a good forum discussion.

I believe that it is paramount to know the learning style of each student. This will give them the best experience to learn with their type of personality and therefore get the most from the course.

By employing proven methods of assessing student knowledge, and sometimes experimenting with new methods, instuctors are sure to be using reliable and valid knowledge and application assessment tools.

Motivating students comes down to how much planning, preparation, expertise, energy and enthusiasm you convey to your students.

I believe it is a two way street; a good instructor must constantly be engaged with his students personalities, needs and learning progress, yet he must also be aware of his own instructional strengths and weaknesses, in order to provide the best learning experience for his students as possible.

I always attempt to get to know my students on the first day of class. This way I will be in touch with their personalities and needs throughout the course. I also make it known that I am approachable and available to them.

I always make it a priority to monitor and get to know each of my students so I can stay in tune with their individual progress and needs. I make myself approachable and available to them for any questions they might have and tutoring when needed. I ask my students on an individual basis how their class experience is going for them to also get a feel for their progress. I believe by showing students you care about there progress and address their needs you aid in retention.