Kris Miller

Engaging the adult learner in class, encouraging them to share thier real life experiences is beneficial to the entire class.  All, including the instructor, benefit.

Engage with students for learning style preferences, then modify lesson plans accordingly.  The student may be more engaged, the instructor is making a better connection, all parties are benefiting and it is good customer service from the student/instructor/institution's perspectives.

I learned that it is important more yo know that what class a student wants when advising.  It is important to also know what thier goals are with thier chosen program, thier overall perfomance in the program and discussing this with them.  They need to discuss (not told) the bigger picture and how the path they have chosed will meet thier long term goals, especially for those attending higher ed right out of high school.  

I am constantly working on my listening skills - I am a talker!  That said, because I want to talk, I am actively listening to the speaker and formulating thoughts so when I feel it is time for me to speak, I have questions/comments ready.  It's hard to bite my tongue but I do, and the reward is great when a student can truly open up and feel comfortable enough to speak of their concerns.  I am better at face to face, real time discussions and am challenged by phone and zoom conversations which are my primary modes of communicating… >>>

Students should not be considered customers in the traditional business sense.  But if we are doing our jobs, and treating the student as a human and working with them toward thier educational goals, then we will be succeeding by the traditional business sense standard because the student that is served well by our programs will advocate for us and draw in potential students.

Students come from different backgrounds/circumstances and are seeking to improve themselves.  We need to be aware of the potential for barriers and be able to adjust as best we can.  "One size should not fit all", by being aware of this we will able to identify how to better serve our students, thus improving retention.