Student Retention
It helps to be aware of students' progress and their personal successes and failures to help them achieve success in and outside the classroom.
Zeina,
This information really helps instructors to be able to provide support when needed. This helps with both student retention and success.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
It also helps student retention when you are there during the difficult times as well. You are at times a coach/motivator as well as a teacher.
keeping students involved in there learning will keep there
I find this to be true. Many students have external concerns that affects their production level in class. Being understanding of those concerns can help with students retention. Speaking with those students and finding ways to work with them so that they complete all assignments and meet the course objectives helps them to stay in school and achieve their ultimate goal.
Rolando,
Good point about understanding the issues that students may be facing in their lives outside of school. We, as instructors cannot compromise on our standards for our courses but we can provide support to help struggling students to be successful if they are willing to put forth the necessary effort.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
This is so true. Sometimes when students are having a difficult time in my class my first response is to say, they are just not applying themselves. But I had another instructor to tell me to check to see how the student is progressing in their other classes. If you find a pattern of the student having issues, then it probably does have something to do with the student and challenges they may be facing, but if your class is the only class that the student is not doing well in then you may be the one with the issue. I found that to be a cold hard reality. The thing that helped me as an instructor was when it was ME, I would solicit advice from other instructors to see how they were able to get appropriate results from the student.
