I started teaching about 13 years ago and have found that students tend to buy into what I have to say more quickly the longer I've been doing this due to the fact they feel with age I've gotten more experience under my belt. I teach culinary arts and have had observed some students frustrated with young instructors as they dont have the industry knowledge to be able to apply to the classroom that someone with 25 years experience in the industry may have. I agree in some industries field experience may not be as important as in other industries and the way the instructor relates this to the students can have a big impact on how its perceived.
Hi Al,
Good observation. Confidence and expertise are two very important components that instructors need to bring to the classroom. The more the students can observe these two traits the greater their respect will be for that instructor.
Gary
I agree with Karen. I was injured in a car accident which caused me to no longer pursue my chosen career. When I applied for this position, I was unawre how many students there would be that were older than myself. They may not have had more knowledge about this particular field than I do, but when it came to their overall experiences, they definitely had years on me and it felt intimidating. We actually end up overall understanding more because we are learning from each other instead of just a one-way transaction.
I look younger than I am and students do become more respectful if they learn my true age. They often never do learn my true age and I earn their respect by knowing my course information supremely and setting high standards that I make my students and myself deliver on.
I have seen many young teachers fail because of their immaturity and failure to gain the respect of the class.
I have seeen a few younger instructors fail, as they set the bar too high, and pushed too hard to establish their own credibility. Rather than earn the respect of their class, they came across as unapproachable know-it-alls.
Setting high standards is important, as is a thorough understanding of your subject matter. The trick is to do it in a way that appeals to your class, rather than turning them against you.
Andrew,
Great advice for new instructors. Thank you for sharing these comments with us.
Gary
I am in this exact position at my college. Most of my students are within my "age group" and I spend a significant amount of time with them in class (~20hrs/wk) so it is very difficult to separate our relationship as instructor/student from peer/peer. I tend to go back to my experience in the field (16 yrs -- I am 26), the fact that I am "seasoned" and have put the time in to this profession to consider taking on teaching in the first place. I have to make sure they get the experiences that I believe are critical to their success and also give them access to the tools that I use to help bolster the courses I teach. They don't know how old I really am, they just know that I am 'older than 15 and younger than 35.'
Most of the students recognize me as that big brother, their #1 cheerleader, and #1 fan. The way they have come to respect me is my accessibility and sensitivity to their needs and feedback. I am very humble in that I do not claim to know everything about everything, and explain that fact on day 1; they will ask questions I can't answer, but we will find the answer together and learn from it.
William,
I complement you for the balance you have found in working with your students. You are earning their respect while giving them the instruction they need to be successful. As a learning leader you are helping them move toward the goals they have for their careers. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
