Connecting with Every Student
The motto at our school is "Every Student - Every Day - Every Time."
For instructors, this means making a personal connection with every student in class every day. Making that connection can be as simple as greeting the student by name as he/she walks into class. Telephone calls to absent students to touch base with them, let them know what they missed, and letting them know they were missed!
For educational administrative staff, getting into the classrooms daily even if only for a few minutes to see what is going on, asking questions of students, participating briefly in a discussion, gives the students a sense of those they can go to when life starts to get in the way of school.
For other staff and managers, getting out among the students at breaks or lunch periods lets the students know that we are all committed to their success.
Personally, as I have gotten out of my office and into the hallways and classrooms, I feel I know our students better and they are more willing to come to me with questions.
Denise,
Based on what you have written, I would assume that you are higher management, maybe a DOE or even a CP. If that is the case then you are in my opinion absolutely correct.
I think it is imperative that our higher management gets more involved with the student body. What this does is creates an open environment for rumor control. Those DOEs and CPs that stay behind closed doors creates huge problems for the school, as well as morale issues for the instructional staff.
James,
I am a DOE and my president and I are both committed to being available to students - getting to know them and helping them change their lives.
The most successful schools in our company are those in which higher management is visible and accessible - to students and to staff. Even though some of those same schools are ones at which students face incredible life challenges!
Hi Denise,
We have a very similar motto at my school. We strongly encourage the "open door" policy all time, everyday! And that goes right up to the Campus Director's door. It's funny because students who have transferred in from larger schools, who wouldn't even know where to find some of the higher management personnel give a look of shock when we tell them they can come see us at anytime!!
Other than just building relationships with the students by making yourselves most visible, are there an activities on campus that are done regularly each semester which improves on student morale at the college? For ex...student of the month??
Thanks,
Sara
This sounds like an ambitious objective, Denise. Do you track results? Is this practice part of employee evaluations?
Amen. If a high ranking manager doesn't develop his/her own public persona, the public will do it for them - usually in an uncomplimentary way.
How about lunch with _________ (Dean, President, etc)? This can be open attendance, sign up basis, or as a reward for some individual behavior you want to re-enforce.
A variation is a pizza party for the section with the best ___________ (attendance, retention, GPA, etc).
I feel that the most important element in a class that promotes learning is the interaction of the teacher and the student. I teach lab classes and the best way to build confidence with the student is to not set at your desk, but to be about the room. Ask students how they are doing? praise the smallest accomplishment, and to let them know that you are interested in their progress. By being within proximity of the student, the students will ask for assistance that they frequently will not if you remain at your desk or at the front of the room. Be fair and answer their questions in the order of observed request. Of course you do not want them to become dependent on you, which this method might at first appear to do. However my experience is that they tend to become more self-confident as the class progresses, and tend to work very independent as their knowledge increases. They tend to want to do it themselves; however they know that help is near by.
Instructor access is a great way to build a solid relationship as well as great teaching technique. The roaming instructor was the standard practice for the first school I worked with. One of the by-products was advance knowledge about problems that were developing. We were able to help the student before these issues became a crisis.
I believe that this practice might benefit many schools.
I agree with faculty and staff connecting with students. As a student myself I respond much better when I know they are there to actually assist in my education rather than simply to get their paycheck.
How does your institution monitor faculty performance to assure quality instruction, John?
TO be honest I am not sure how they measure the performance of the faculty. This is the school I am attending and not the facility I work for. I have personally sent a letter to the school addressing the instructor's lack enthusiasm for her students.
I am a DOE and I believe that it's very important for students to see you and be able to feel comfortable in talking with you. I make myself very available to all of my students and when they are out I personally call to let them know that they were missed and to come by the office to see me the next day. When they come to the office, my conversation is geared toward how they are doing and less on attendance. This makes them feel that we care about them as a person and not solely for school statistics.
Do the students come in as requested? Do you invite students to your office for other reasons? How often do you connect directly with each student?
I agree that the interaction between the instructor and the student makes a lot of difference. Remember in our own classes, if we did not care much for the instructor, it was easier to do as little as possible to pass the class. If students feel that they can approach their instructor with questions without feeling belittled, then they will be more encouraged to come to class. I have students say that they will not miss my class (College Accounting) because they will miss some good information. That is because our classes are very interactive. I ask the for input from the students in every area including putting examples up for the rest of the class to see. Everyone is treated the same and each person receives the same opportunity to learn.
How do you handle the 'quiet' students who may be reluctant to participate or put up their work?
I like that model and think it should be practiced at all institutions. Unfortunately, not enough schools implement this as much as your facility has.
The motto in our class is "If it is to be, it's up to me". For students this means that the connection starts with both the teacher and the student. If there is a problem that occurs then if the student never acknowledges the problem then there will be no resolution. So if we are to conquer it then it's up to the student to acknowledge and the instructor to help solve it.
How do you get the faculty and students to practice this principle, Vicki? Do you do training for the faculty to help them draw out student issues? What guidance do you give the sutdents, particularly the naturally quiet ones?
That is a very good idea for the students to take responsibility for their accomplishments.
