Caring is Not a Cliche.
As a former dean and current teacher I can tell you from personal experience that genuine caring (not lip service) will greatly improve overall student retention rates. The students know when they are hearing a line, or if instead you have established an "educational" personal relationship with them.
While an individual can have wonderful individual retention rates,it is only from a transformation of corporate and/or institutional culture that will lead to significant success. A great indication of improved retention rates is a robust re-entry rate, where the students leaving due to unavoidable issues make their way back home to you after a time.
Yes, absolutely agree with your comment. As an instructor we must not only care about their retention of what is being taught and supply them with the tools they need to perform, but also, build individual relationships where we could guide them and hear them out as well. Of course at a professional level. Sometimes all our students need, is just a push and a reminder of who they are and the capabilities the have to face and withstand the challenges they confront.
Amen, Richard. Re-entry rates are a very telling indicator. If students don't return to classes after the “crisis du jourâ€, it may suggest that the crisis wasn't the real reason they dropped out.
Nicely stated, Katayoun. In the crush of the daily routine it's easy to forget about the individual relationships that are formed and the power we have in shaping someone else's future.
I agree, caring is not a cliche. I believe that when we take these jobs, we as people should care about whats going on in the life of our student. How many times did we want somebody to help us when we were having a problem and needed someone to talk to.
I think it is important to care about the student, but not get involved in their personal lives.
What happens when a student misses a lot of class because of health or childcare problems?
