Developing student rapport.
The more open minded the instructor, the more opportunities the instructor has to establish a better rapport with each student.
Margaret,
I teach in a setting much like you describe. The key is to focus on being a professional model for the students and earn their respect. I have found that by earning their respect I can develop rapport with them and this greatly enhances their learning. The "best friend" instructors generally struggle with student management issues because of their closeness to the students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
This I totally agree with. Instructors have to learn to know the difference. I have seen so many Instructors doing the same thing. They want to be the students bestfriend. Then you will see other Instructors who are very Professional and willing to teach and help the students,sometimes in certain cases they are not appreciated.
Margaret Clarke
John,
You make a good point. When students know they are valued and respected they are more likely to become involved in the course which leads them to success.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Letting the student know that each student is a seperate person and treating them as individuals with individual goals.
I think that new instructors struggle with developing a rapport. I have seen many that cannot draw the line between instructor and buddy. They tend to lean to the side of being a buddy, and each time, it bites the instructor in the butt in the end.
It is important to be a good listener and be open minded for new ideas to develop student rapport.
Myrthe,
I agree. As you know students really like to hear stories from their instructors about what they did in their fields. These stories help to make it real for the students so they can connect the course content to their futures.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I think sharing ones personal experience into the classroom is a good thing as theory is not able to teach everything.
I agree a professional rapport is key baking the student cookies and buying them food isnt.
Jerome,
Rapport is a connection between a student and the instructor. It is based upon respect and develops throughout the course. As an instructor I really enjoy developing rapport with my students but as you say we are not and never will be buddies. As professional educators we need to always be aware of the relationship we have with our students and keep it professional.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
One consideration is that the teacher needs to develop professional rapport, not a buddy/buddy friendship with the student.
I can attest to the fact that if instructors are honest with their students concerning their personal experiences the students will in turn share some of their personal concerns pertaining to the topic under discussion. If I let my students know that I am willing to admit to my uncertainties concerning certain aspects of life and education, they see me as one of them; not someone who claim to know everything about everything, but someone who was willing to further her education in order to learn. The rapport I have with my students is based on my ability to appear human, one who is open to new ideas, one who does not judge them, one who is tolerant and believes that she can learn by listening and valuing others point-of-views, especially those of her students.
