Getting to know your students
Hello:
I teach at a very small community college and we get to know our students very well. This is to the point we know what motivates them and what frustrates them as well.
I have found that I'm able to help control the frustration by listening and offering some guidance while at the same time encouraging them to excel.
I use this very same technique to help motivate and inspire my students as well. I find by asking my students general questions, nothing to personal, about there lives outside of school; they feel im more emotionally engaged in them achieving a successful educational outcome. This helps to inspire the student to feel that if I believe they can do it, they believe they can do it! It truly works, you must have very good people skills though, and be willing to share about your life as well. Your students will look to you as a mentor, which is really key to helping your students reach and attain their educational goals. You'll also find it easier to manage situations in the classroom that could lead to disruptive behavior in your students. Students tend to be more empathetic to listening to your guidance if they feel you know where they are coming from.
My class count varies greatly from term to term so i am always having to modify the way i get to know the students and the way their interaction with me and their fellow students in relation to the clas and work load
Robert, it is true that you do need to have good people skills and be willing to share a little bit about your life or work situations. I have learned over time that opening up to my students does not show weakness but shows them I am human too and have experienced that same things they are going through as students. I have found this willingness to open up a valuable tool.
Tula,
I agree that opening up to your students is a valuable tool but I have seen instances where a new instructor opened up a little too much and it changed the classroom environment in a negative manner.
Susan,
Thanks you for the post, this is true. Even though it is a good idea to build relationships with students, we also need to make sure that they are professional relationships. We should be careful of giving too much personal advice and allowing a student to depend on us. If we venture outside of that, the line in the sand can get blurry.
Philip Campbell
I always have my students write a breif autobiography in the first week of class in order to get to know them personally and what drives them to succeed. I find asking the students to self-identify really opens their minds to learning how to self-solve their problems.
This is one of the key things I learn early in my Naval Career. You must know your people in order to help your people.
Robert,
I find that I have to balance on a very fine line when getting to know my students, and vice versa. Today I heard about a custody battle between a woman and her mother, who didn't think lesbians should raise kids, another one going through a bitter divorce, and a third that just said "family drama" was the reason she didn't study. (I prefer the latter to the formers).
It seems like when I am empathetic and friendly towards them, it opens up an avenue that I do not want to go down. And when they feel comfortable with me, sometimes they ask personal questions that I just don't feel are relevant or appropriate.
Does anyone else struggle with this?
HAVING YOUR STUDENTS OPEN IS OK BUT YOUR RIGHT SOME INSTRUCTERS TAKE IT TOO FAR KNOWING TOO MUCH OF THEIR PERSONAL BUSINESS IS SOME TIMES NOT A GOOD THING TO DO
MARILYN,
Yes, we need to be aware of this and make sure that the line in the sand is always there.
Philip Campbell
I agree that there is a limit to what instructors should share with students. I try to use humor and modesty when giving them only pertinent real-life stories from the workplace. I hand out a 3 x 5 card to each student and ask them to give me their name, contact phone number, and to explain to me their goal in one year, and in five years. I also ask them why they chose to attend our school and to enroll in their chosen program. This helps me to understand their motivation and purpose a little bit better.
Very good posts here. I find it useful to go around the classroom and ask five simple questions starting with the students name, where they are from, which program they are studying, why they chose the school, and where they hope to be upon graduation. It is a great way for me to learn more about them, and for the rest of the class to do the same.
Henry,
Great ice breaker. There are so many unique ones, sometimes the easiest is the best and most efficient way.
Philip Campbell
Our class count also varies and there is a new class every three weeks. So getting to know students is at a faster pace, but can be done. As an instructor, I think it's important to show students that we are human. It can help when relating career and life stories.
Scott,
Working at a faster pace is challenging and suits some people but not everyone.
Philip Campbell
I also ask those same questions, I use the information to help remember the students names.
I also found out over the past 10 years how many post grad students are from my home area, That alone seems to open them up more for discussions during class.
I Agree, getting to know your students as soon as possible in a fast pace class is very important. Learning the Students behaviors will also help you pair them up in Lab situations. Stay positive, Life is too short!
