You must always conduct yourself as a professional. If you give into the students behavior they may act as though they respect you but will actualy have little to no respect fpor you or your possition.You will be seen as a stronger individual by following the rules and being consistant.
If you relate personal experiences of you time in the field where professionalism has payed off in a positive way, I feel that you can get through to the students in a way they will understand. If you turn a blind eye to it you are creating a bad situation for all future or past instructors that do strive for professionalism in the classroom.
Hi Melanie,
An effective observation form should include all of the areas that your college considers needed by a professional educator. These areas could include classroom/lab organization, materials development, syllabus content, etc. In the area of instructor professionalism you have to be clear as to what you are wanting to observe. It can be things like appropriate dress for the field, starting the class on time, instructional supports given, interaction with other instructors, interaction with students before and after class, etc. All the things your college wants to see in an instructor.
Gary
Do you have any recommendations on what an effective observation form should entail, especially regarding the topic of instructor professionalism?
Hi Matt,
You ask a very good but complex question about faculty professionalism. In our program we have a code of conduct that we share with our faculty. They know what is expected of them and what their responsibilities are in relation to be models, managers and motivators.
We use observation forms and in class room visits to help the professional growth of our faculty as well. The observation forms are a real help in pointing out concerns related to professionalism. After the observation and with the completed observation in hand a follow up visit is made with the instructors. This way no one is singled out but everyone gets in put from the observations and forms to help with their growth.
Gary
