Approach
How we Approach students has a big effect on the response we get from them.
As instructors we all want to be respected by our students, however It is of paramount importance that we understand that respect is a two way street, how we interact with any student makes a huge difference in the outcome. If we see ourselves as superior to our students, this attitude will come across in our interaction and the student will pick up on it right away. The only difference between us and our students is many years of experience, on a human level everyone deserves a level of respect, I have found that when I practice this in my dealings with my students the respect I get in return is amazing
K.Torres
Avondale
I have found that getting to know the student the first day and letting them know that you care about their education , and the field that they are preparing for makes them feel more at ease !
Introducing my professional background I have noticed actually hindered some students. "Well I can never reach your standards" or "You are grading me based on your professional experience" and so on.
I have found to break that, is to bring up mistakes or goofs that went on through the production. Memtion some of the fun points and once the mold has broken, intoduce the school rubric for the assignments and how they all will be graded.
The pre-conceptions are gone and class continues.
Hi Leslie,
Your approach is a good one. This way the students can see a blend of two parts of your professional experience. One, you have been successful in your field and you have examples of that and two, you have had some diverse experiences in the field that lend themselves to some laughs and examples of how the real world really is. This really sets the stage for your students as they start the class.
Gary
The first few hours of the first day you have the ability to "sell" your class as well as yourself to the students. If you succeed in doing that you have a higher retention percentage. I have always began my class with an introduction on what the class is, who I am along with my professional background & experience & then attempted to make it a fun environment to "sell it" & watch them "buy into it". Without the sell in the first few hours you wont keep their attention for the rest of the class. You have to prove you know what you are teaching as a part of the sell.
Hi Al,
Good advice. It does require selling and the key part is like the television ads, "wait there is more". You are showing them what they will have access to in terms of knowledge and skill development over the course. This is why you have the "buy in" that you do.
Gary
