Start the day off right
Just smiling and greeting students as they come in eases alot of tension they may carry with them. The class may be their escape from a tough situation, so lets help them out
Sometimes atarting class of with nothing that has anything to do with what we are doing is the best. Makes the student feel that it will be less demanding & more interesting.
Michael,
What are some examples of interesting things you might do to start a class?
After reading this module I proceeded to exercise it the same day. To an extent I believe it wasn't anything I wasn't doing already. I 've watched another instructor here at school and tried one of his methods. I opened the door stand outside the door and greeted each student as I call them by name IT WORKS
It always works, Greet the Student, How was your whatever, Make them Feel important.If you look at real life, That greeting may be the only one He or She Gets!
I agree with the smiling greeting, but I also ask them what is new in there life and if they have anything they would like to talk about.
Wayne, Thank you for taking the initiative to try something a little different. I am glad it worked for you.
Know your students...you can usually teel when one of them needs a little encouragement
Dave,
What are some of the signs you look for to identify students that need encouragement?
I agree. Greeting students, smiling and knowing their names is a positive start to any class.
You are correct, Melanie. Using students' names is a very powerful way to make a connection with the students as individuals.
Do you have any tricks you use to help you learn your students' names quickly? Some instructors struggle to learn names.
To remember student names, I will often repeat their name in a question. For example, on the first day, I ask them introduce themselves and talk a little about their favorite hobby. When they say their name I will use it in a question about the hobby.
This simple exercise gives them individuality in a class of 30, opens up conversations with students who enjoy the same hobby or would like to try and provides me with a sly way of learning their names more quickly.
Thanks, Rich. This an old, but very effective technique. The importance of learning and using students' names cannot be overstated.
The other great thing about what you are doing is that you are building a sense of community by identifying commonalities. A lot of reention research focuses on the importance of building community as the key to persistence.
I agree Wayne! It is incredible how a small gesture can go such a long way! The class will start out more personal, the students will feel more like people than a name on a roster, and they will more commitment from the instructor. The more students feel invested in, they more they will give in class.
Great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Lori
I often come in and immediately ask who did anything fun or noteworthy over the weekend. Students love sharing good experiences and I can often weave into the weekly Unit content somehow.
Students also know I am a film buff. I often ask if anyone caught an interesting film over the week to promote a short pre-class chat. (I continue to have former students email me movie recommendations!)
I am in total agreement with this. First thing, our class lines-up for attendance; and as I walk through the line, I can tell who is or is not having a good day. With this in mind, I know who is going to need a little extra attention/"pumping-up" for the day.
Great strategy, Robert. Thanks for sharing this.
This is definitely a great strategy! The students know you're paying attention to them and also following protocol. I think a lot of students try to get away with their instructor missing something from the uniform policy. This line up allows them to know you are providing them a quality education and they will ultimately learn to respect that if they haven't already.
The more students feel invested in, they more they will give in class.
