Hi Cheryl,
Your last sentence says it all. If you look and act professional respect will come your way. You are setting a standard for your students and they can see that you can about how you represent the field.
Gary
Hi Benjamin,
Right you are. Excitement is catching and so the more you can show your students how excited you are about teaching the contents of your field the higher their interest level will be. With higher interest goes greater performance and everyone wins as a result.
Gary
I think this is so important. Just like in a job, meeting people, even hosting at a restauarant that a first impression is vital for the "Start Up" of the class. You never get a second chance for a first impression.
There is a fair amount of convincing evidence that you have about 30 seconds when meeting someone for the first time to make a good impression. The same is true of starting a new class.
Consider what you are doing when you start a class -- you are implementing an implicit bargain with the students that you have the ability to teach them what they need to know [providing, of course, that they implement the appropriaate effort]. Well, why would students find that bargain acceptable? It is not enough to say that they came to class, because they have to come to all their classes -- they want good classes, not bad ones.
So the first impression, if positive, helps students to think that they are getting a good class. This tends to be a self-fulfilling prophecy -- if the students are impressed initially, then they will tend to see ostensibly neutral events in a positive light [and of course, the reverse if the initial impression is negative], and because like Dumbo's feather, this increases their self-confidence, they are likely to perform better.
The fact that a positive first impression tends to relax people also helps with nervousness on the part of students starting a class. This is particularly true for students in introductory or lower-level classes.
The first Impression is the most important. How you dress and how you present your self really matters. That first class sets the stage for all of it.
A positive first impression is very important because it sets the stage for the relationships that you are going to have with your students. As a culinary instructor it is VERY importsant that you are in full uniform and that you look professional. I am a firm believer that the more professional that you look the more respect you will get.
Hi Lawrence,
Well said. By setting the standards for the course clearly in the minds of the students from the very first day you are showing them what is going to come. By reinforcing it throughout the course you are showing them that you believe in what you say and that you are going to hold them to those standards.
Gary
This is one of the most important times for you as a teacher. I feel you must be able to convey what you expect form your students during the course and also show your enthusiasm for the course.
Hi Aaon,
Your passion and excitement are great assets to use in introducing your course to your students. I commend you for your efforts in showing the students how their courses all fit together to complete a career program. Many times students don't see the big picture of their preparation.
Gary
I think a first impression is important as an opportunity to send clear messages- this is when you have students'attention- they are curious and anticipatory. It's almost like Lortenz's "imprinting". I like to set expectations for serious work, personal growth, and mastery of useful skills and concepts. Of course, this must be consistently reinforced throughout to course to maintain one's credibility.
I think a first impression is important as an opportunity to send clear messages- this is when you have students'attention- they are curious and anticipatory. It's almost like Lortenz's "imprinting". I like to set expectations for serious work, personal growth, and mastery of useful skills and concepts. Of course, this must be consistently reinforced throughout to course to maintain one's credibility.
I believe that a lot of times a good first impression can set the tone for the course. It gives the students an idea of who you are and where you came from. Each class I teach I truly have a passion and excitement for and I think this can instantly get the students excited about the same course. I also think that every course in the curriculum has benefit for the student in helping them acheive their goals and I try to show the students this early on.
Hi Karen,
Good way to show the students that there are a number of different parts of your life. Many times students can only see you in a limited teacher role and by sharing your personal interests, hobbies, or what ever else you are comfortable sharing you are showing them that not only you have different parts to your life but they need to have different parts as well.
Gary
Nicholas: If the students believe you are the master of your skills it sure makes it a lot easier for the students in the class become excited abut the material.
That is going to set the tone of the class for the whole term or semester of the class. It is going to let the student know just what the class is going to be like. It will help the students determine your personality and in some cases give the class a postive or negative feeling about your knowledge base of the subject matter.
Making a positive first impression is important to establish mutual respect from the start. Students will be more motivated to do well in the class if they are working with an instructor they respect. I teach online classes, so I have to move quickly at the start of the class to make a positive impression. I email each student individually on the first day of class, telling them where to find the course information and directing them to the "Meet the Instructor" link in Blackboard so they can find out a little bit about me. In my instructor profile, I've listed my professional background but also some information about what I like to do in my spare time, so students can make a connection.
Hi Michael,
This is why we keep coming back to the classroom/lab time after time. This is what it is all about. We are having an impact.
Gary
100% agree to this. It's also nice when students comment about your class and look forward to your next one due to having a positive first impression.
By starting the class off in a positive manner and showing students your organized, your expectations and your experience you are creating an open environment for learning. I think its important to establish the key factors of the course that students should focus on. Plus this gives you the opportunity to share with students what you aniticipate they should work on to be successful. By representing yourself as knowledgable it allows students to see you as a master in your skill. By being organized it gives students a role to follow and ways they can be successful in the course.
A good first impression is important for a couple of reasons:
1. It helps the students become more comfortable with you (the teacher). People learn better when they are comfortable.
2. It establishes your authority. If the students see you as professional, they will be more likely to give you the respect you need to teach effectively.
