Getting to know you
Getting to know your students can be very helpful in planning your course.
Students are interested in the instructors sharing things about themselves. Sometimes this allows student to share more freely about themselves.
Gaining comprehensive knowledge about our students will help us as instructors to deliver best practice course studies for our students.
Vernise
I think it's important for the students to see the instructor as a person once like them in the student role. Share your mistakes what you did to correct them things you learned.
Tami,
I agree. Students are generally interested in hearing their instructor's "story", including the mistakes from the past. I find that it is a great "teachable" moment, to provide the students with how the mistake was used to help with the instructor's overall success.
Tremayne Simpson
I fully agree with this comment about how to get your students to feel comfortable. I teach to such a large variety of students with ages ranging from 17 - 60 and expierience levels that match a similar range. Sometimes the lack of experience can be intimidating to a younger student when put in a class of older students that have been in the industry previously. I feel that by opening up a converstaion on day one about my experience and the related expierience of the class will help everyone feel more comfortable.
-e
I, too, teach to students of different ages. It is important to let them know that I have many years of experience in the field of which I am teaching. Relating some successes as well as mishaps and failures usually breaks the ice the first day. I, then, ask them to share any experiences they might have had in the industry and what thier ultimate goal is for the future.
I think it is a good idea to get to know the students and tell them something about yourself. Sometimes if they see you are a real person to it gets them more relaxed.
Hi Donna, I agree Students want to know about their instructors, but it is so imprtant to keep it at a professional level and not reveal to much inoformation.
Thank you for sharing
Vernise
Vernise,
I agree. Instructors should provide "general" information about themselves, however it is important to not reveal specific details....which could create an awkward learning environment.
Tremayne Simpson
I totally agree that it is important for the students to know you are not an unfeeling despot. However, it more important for them to know you are an expert in your field and will provide them with more than what is in the text books. So you can tell them about your best vacation ever or that you are into square dancing, but what they really want to know is that you know the material and will do you best to make sure they understand/learn the subject. Also, I'm not a big fan of telling your students how you have failed at something. If you must must "get down and personal" make it something positive.
I start every class term by introducing myself and have the students do the same. As an English instructor, I then follow up with a brief writing assignment about their course goals, or career path they chose. I then can use them as assessment in their writing abilities.
Joan,
This is an effective method for assessing their writing skills, without them actually knowing that they are being assessed. What is your approach to working with students that have shown deficiencies in their writing skills?
Tremayne Simpson
I love to share my "3 minute" journey of how I came into the industry that I'm currently in and teach on at a local school. This is important to me because I want the students to know and be comfortable asking me any questions about the industry. I like to think that I help bring in a "real world" perspective on what we do in this field that the books out there really can't touch (or it may not even be in print).
Charity,
Providing students with information that is not available in books or jounals, makes the learning experience "unique" for them. In order to maximize, student engagement and course enthusiasm, it is imperative that instructors finds ways to provide personal examples and analogies that connect with the course material.
Tremayne Simpson
Though I am a coordinator, I still enjoy going in the class rooms and getting to know the students I will be dealing with at a later date. Their personailty, what makes them tick. It helps me to place them at an extern later on, plus it's fun
I agree ,iike to share with the studuents the time I, spent in the Cosmetology feild. it help them understand certain areas inthe fields.
