Building trust and rapport with students is essential for success!
We must avoid creating intense competition among students, and you must tell students how they can succeed in your class.
Hold students accountable for the lesson they have to learn by allowing them to ask questions that keep them engaged.
By learning students names there is an added level of comfort to the class.
Treating people cordially, daily interactions, showing to them the realistic goals to be achieved in bite size bits, seems logical but became more aware of while reading this module. creating a warm welcome learning environment is important to their success within their chosen industry.
This course was a reminder to sometimes let the class discussion flow along naturally with the students and not necessarily every planned point on my prepared outline.
Always remember to be encouraging and keep things fun.
Starting the class with lighthearted moments not only helps students settle in but also establishes a positive and engaging atmosphere for learning. By creating a space where students' feel comfortable and connected, educators can better gauge student's readiness and establish rapport.
How having fun and having a genuine interest in the content and thrill of teaching helps student motivation.
It's very important to make every student feel comfortable and cared about in the classroom, even in adult education classes.
Keeping things light in the beginning will take the edge off for the students and the teacher. Learning in an acceptable environment helps students thrive and succeed.
Student retention relies on so many factors. As the title states, “General Strategies.” Strategies, while specific, usually have general results. What remains is that student retention requires an instructor to at one time be as light-hearted as a late-night talk show host and at other times be as stoic as an airline captain during take-off or landing. Given that students come in all “shapes and sizes” the instructor must be a chameleon in that the leadership style they foster has to model their student’s expectations and their own strategies for succeeding in the course but also in life.
It isn’t enough to have a light-hearted pizza day. If 28 out of 29 students are experiencing pizza euphoria and one of the students is experiencing doldrums, the instructor has to consider that individual. It would be awesome if pizza or ice cream could quell the acrimony a student is experiencing because of their class performance due to an off-campus disruption. Yet, the show must go on. The instructor must do what is best for the many while at the same time a smidgen of focus on those that might not feel so celebratory remains a factor.
Human factors that set the stage for student success is dependent upon respect for participation. An instructor’s outward respect for participation is paramount and deserves personal attention so as to set a stage that is inclusive yet exclusive. This kind of learning environment is open for all to participate so that goals and expectations will be met by the majority of students.
Learning about your students can help drive the way you teach content.
I have learned that injecting some humanity into the learning experience by being fair and engaging, as well as a bit of humor and encouragement will get and keep students involved and improve success.
"A Mathematician and a statistician meet a genie on the road..."
keeping students engaged and interacting with each other
Be enthusiastic about your topic. Let students help determine where the class goes. Do not try to force where the topics go.
I found it interesting that 60% of student success is based on self-respect/confidence. Helping students set achievable goals for themselves and translating course goals into personal goals will help alleviate frustration that impedes the educational process. Including students in the educational process is imperative. I work hard to set clear and expectations for success in my courses and relate those to industry expectations. On day one, I give them a presentation of what they will need to do to be successful in school and work.
From this module, I have learned the importance of incorporating creativity into each class session in order to keep students engaged. Additionally, it is important to set and maintain high expectations/standards for the class, but in a way that is not intimidating for the students.
Enhancing Student Retention:
This module has been quite full-filling to learn techniques to enhance students retention. I am most inspired by How can you help your students to understand why you have set the course expectations at the level you have? Why is repeated recognition and rewards so important for student success? Also, how does starting the class with some lighthearted moments contribute to getting the students ready for learning?
Setting standards for the classroom is paramount. I like the suggestion of showing students examples of competency levels required for advancement in the career field. My practice is to have students to popcorn read the Rules & Regulations of the classroom to set a respectful and professional tone. Eating in class is prohibited as it becomes a major distraction. Although, there is instruction in the virtual classroom the same rule applies to convey the significance of discipline and eating on breaks opposed to our desk. When a student questioned, "Why are we unable to eat at our desk (we're all adults)?" I expressed the unprofessional image it promotes during lectures. I used myself as an example, it would look very unprofessional of me to lecture and eat at the same time. The student respected that example.
The repeated recognition of the classroom is a suggested tip that I currently implement. There are weekly congratulations and kudos given to students in the announcements for high achievers and to encourage others to participate in discussions. It is important for me to engage the students throughout the class, therefore, I send emojis in our chat to acknowledge students for their engagement. According to the statistics provided in Module 2 there will be 40% of higher level student achievement (Repeated Recognition & Rewards for students success).
The lighthearted approach to start class with a joke is a brilliant idea for an inviting tone. It is important to me to welcome the students as they arrive and acknowledge them by name. Ice Breakers are included at the beginning of class to help the students settle in comfortably and to be eager to learn.
Overall, the methods suggest creating a comfortable environment that exudes lightheartedness all the while maintaining professionalism.
Being genuine can help you build a deep rapport with students
