Hello,
I totally agreed that soft skills are very important. Effective instructors need have skills to work with students and to motivate students specially in the online environment. Soft skills play big role for the success of online teaching.
We need be more aware of the soft skills and try to improve our soft skills as much as possible.
I think that an instructor that promotes integrity, development, energetic and finding or trying new things with students to promote their learning process, ie; role plays etc...getting them involved with the process not just sitting and listening is very effective.
Empathy. Remember the student is not you. They are different in their thinking and in their beliefs. You must gear your communication to what they understand and gear your behavior to what they find comfortable.
Patricia,
So true. Too many times we use ourselves as the example, but so many times our lives are so different and not comparable.
Philip Campbell
It is like most anything you get out what you put in. You go in with a positive attitude you normaly get a positive result.
I believe that integrity sets us apart. You must have good character and integrity in the classroom.
Positive attitude and motivation to encourage students to succeed
While I agree with many of the previous comments about effective instructors having a positive attitude, empathy and the ability to motivate students, I also feel that being adaptable, demonstrating common sense and exhibiting a sense of fairness in the classroom is very important. As role models for our students, we need to demonstrate how we adapt to ever-changing situations, and also how to handle them in a professional manner. As a nurse, I feel this is an important skill to master, and the more I can model this behavior as instructor the more likely it is that students will pick up on this 'soft skill'.
As for common sense and fairness, show your students that you respect authority and follow the rules, but also that you can adapt by using your common sense as the situation allows. After all, rules exist for a reason, and when students understand the reason behind the rules they will be more likely to follow them! This applies not only in classroom but in clincal areas as well.
I believe it is integrity. Instreuctors/ educators are role models. Students trust us not only to transfer our knowledge but also our wisdom and character. Instructors should "walk the talk". Academic integrity is a huge issues among schools and students. Instructors need to foster the values and skills that will help students be prodcutive member of the society.
In my classroom enthusiasm is key. I find that my students respond well when I am enthusiastic about the curriculum being taught. Like you said enthusiasm is contagious.
Rachel,
I believe that complaining and gossip are two of the most corrosive workplace behaviors and show poor people skills. I define complaining as making a critical remark about something without the intention to do something about it. Gossip is speaking to somebody about a third person in a way you would not directly to the third person without an immediate goal. "That student has a knife today" is not gossip if told to the security guard. "My students are so lazy" is gossip if told to the security guard.
As this is my 20th year as an educator, I feel that integrity, positive attitude and understanding others are imperative when it comes to being a highly effective instructor. If you as the classroom leader and "director" are displaying a positive attitude about the coursework, school, students, etc it's hard for the students to feel negative. Your attitude will "rub off" on them. Conversely, if the instructor has a negative attitude, the students will as well. Integrity is important because you are basically the one "in charge" of a student's success or demise since instructors do "hold some power" over students and if you play favorites or let your personal feelings, biases, etc get in the way, you are unfairly judging and affecting a students success in school and ultimately their future. Understading others is also crucial in a college classroom. Students come from many different backgrounds, cultures, etc. You have to again be able to put any personal feelings aside and respect everyone the same no matter what. You cannot show favortism to any student based on the fact that maybe you feel more "connected" to them because they have the same personal traits in common with you. Everyone must be equal in an instructors eyes!
I think a student can tell the difference between an instructor that has a passion for teaching and one that has a teaching job. A teacher that inspires another teaches with passion and truly loves what they do. It comes through in their teaching and gets students excited about what they are learning. If the excitement and passion are absent, the material is just the material. When there is genuine excitement and passion present the material teaches itself!
The ability to "read" a group of students. This translates into adapting classroom activities to make them more effective. Students feel that they are being listened to, even in their non-verbal communication, which leads to a happier, healthier classroom environment.
I agree with most of the comments. A positive attitude can be contagious and encourage learning. Students get cues from our behavior so if we are engaged, energetic, positive, and respectful in the classroom.....the students can learn from this. Instructors need to maintain and improve their skills consistently to be effective but a positive attitude is a very important attribute to start with.
Theresa,
"Reading" is a hard thing to do. Not in the literal sense of the word obviously. Once you have mastered that you will have classes in the palm of your hand. Keep it up!
Philip Campbell
I feel that the most effective instructor is one who truely cares about the students understanding of the material presented to them. An effective instructor also should have a pasion for the subject that they are teaching.
When I think back on my favorite instructors, it was the passionate teachers who connected individually with each student that really intrigued me. I respected them, even if the class was unrelated to my career and was just fulfilling a requirement. In fact, every good teacher I had was great with their use of soft skills. It really is important to making an effective learning environment.
GREAT question! It is definitely soft skills. The students expect you have the technical skills/abilities to teach the course. They seem to relate best with those teachers who possess solid soft skills and high EQ to relate, communicate, and show empathy (NOT sympathy). These characteristics result in motivating the students and increasing their accountability. Instructors HAVE to remember they are role models.
In my opinion the important qualities that effective instructors should utilize are a positive attitude and respect for students. A good attitude will go help in the delivery of material. Understanding students who are there to learn motivates an instructor to strive to make a change in their lives.
