First Week and Late Enrollments | Origin: RT102
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Orientation and First Week Activities to Increase Retention --> First Week and Late Enrollments
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
If you've built a strong orientation, the students will already be a little familiar with each other and the instructor
Enhance assimilation during the first week. Address behaviors and patterns. Attendance call as soon as you go in. Build a bond.
The first week of class is so important for new and returning students. I have been teaching for more than 15 years and I have noticed that the more engaged the students were the first week better chance of returning the next. Hands on activities work great the first week. Getting students in the lab early, if you can safely, really gets them motivated to continue.
The hardest thing to deal with is the late arriving or missing first day students.
Students who enroll late should be paired with a senior student to guide them as a mentor. This ensures that they have the time needed to assimilate without causing the instructor to hold up class for the rest of the new students.
To be there and be present
The importance of instructors with late enrollees. "It is extremely important that instructors make the student feel welcome and not overwhelmed, while still providing realistic expectations. Students who start classes late are already at risk. Making them feel unduly overwhelmed or excluded will be sure to drive them out the door early."
Practice empathy and relate to students while maintaining a safe, interacive learning environment. Always follow-up with late orientation and/or enrollments to ensure success of program, college or individual student.
Great strategies mentioned to better support late enrollment students
The more you build the a report with the students the better their experience will be
I know an area of improvement for me is not developing a preduice against students that miss the first day or two, but I will work on it.
It is important to reinforce the things we talk about and show support on the students' first week of school to help reassute them that they made the right choice. It's also important to place special attention to students that missed orientation or had late orientation as they can be at risk.
Staying engaged with the students, being nonjudgmental and having a open door policy conveyed in first week or last enrollment is key to help the students succeed.
It is important to keep your students engaged. Some ways to improve your classroom is to set standards/expectations on the first day and be consistent. Pair up your students with an older student as a buddy system to help them gain their barings better/ have a mentor. Keep an eye out for late students/ poor quality assignments. these need to be addressed asap in order to help benefit the student and to try to set them on the course for success.
Make sure to call attendance right away and create a enviroment where the students within the classroom tha fosters grwoth adn support.
The first week of activities allows for more student bonding and the reinforcement of information that is important to the students' success. Faculty play a key roll in first-day, first impressions of how academics are going to be. Faculty can plan activities in class so students can get to know their classmates.
Continue to reinforce topics covered in orientation during the first week.
The first week is the paramount time to set and uphold expectations. Additionally, pairing late enrollment students with a classmate for a buddy support system can alleviate some stress and confusion.
What have I learned from this module?
- The first week is very important
- Late orientation may be higher at risk students and more likely to drop
How do I intend to apply it?
- Focus on making the student comfortable during the first week by following up with them and helping them feel comfortable in school/class/new environment
- Provide extra time to late orientation students because they may feel behind from the start.
