managing yourself
I have students that very in age group from 18 to 60. I have to be careful not to loose my temper or my patience, some of the more mature students can test your patience more than the younger students. I believe i have a good rapport with all of my students. The key for me is patience ,that keeps me from losing my temper.
I still find it amazing as to how adults act. I would have never believed it until I saw it for myself. I can't imagine me teaching to school age children, that must be very hard.
i have to agree, many adults are set in there ways and therefore be more disruptive.
My students range from 18 to 60. I was very surprised that the adults in the upper age bracket seem to harder to manage in class do to them being set in their ways. I have to manage myself in a style that I feel will best fix the class promblems for all ages without upsetting the whole class.
Greg,try teaching high school students in a school where administrators expect teachers to control a classroom of 30 students who cannot even sit still in a chair. They squirm and fidget like little children. They do not respond to discipline; in fact, they consider suspension a vacation.
Keeping your cool, taking a deep breath and think of what you want to say before you say it helps
alma, well stated. Students should never know you may be frustrated. Be professional at all times and be the beacon of control for your students.
James Jackson
Alma, As adults in the post-secondary environment, I think we sometimes forget to see our students as adults not minions under our domain. They are, after all, our paying customers. We are their employees. So first is respect for their cash outlay and the achievements they've accomplished in order to get to our class. Second, as many have already mentioned,a clear outline of expectations, theirs and ours on the first day. Third, patience, insightfulness, humility and a sense of humor. I think wisdom in managing a classroom comes from continuing education and meditating on past experiences.
Phil, great post and the reality can be hard for some instructors to understand but we are the employees of the students. The methodology of the working relationship is different from a typical employer/employee relationship but it exists none the less. We are also coaches and consultants and we need to move our clients in a direction of success. If your students would not hire you back to teach their friends or colleagues then we may not be achieving our goals as intended.
James Jackson
I think I would be an amazing elementary or middle school instructor... I am just not in the frame of mind to rear someone elses child... saying that... when I have adults that are fidgety or sleepy I suggest that they get up walk around what they feel within reason would make their learning experience 'easier' without disruption. A lot of this we discuss the first day and communicate throughout the course.
As for managing myself the one time I lost my cool was when someone was being grossly disrespetful to a few student... I acknowledged my lose of coolness, shared that I am human and proceeded with the day... I do not linger on things that not productive.
Julia, in a career college setting you will encounter adolescent 35 year olds and mature 25 year olds. Maturity is not always directly linked with age. The focus then becomes how well you can get to know your students and understand their maturity level. Once you understand where you can start, you can better prepare a path to reach your target goals for each student and your class as a whole.
James Jackson
