Speaking with students daily and especially at the end of an exam or midterm evaluation.
Being involved in the extra curricular activites
with students such as clubs allows the instructor to delve into a side of the student's life that
may not be readily seen on a daily basis.
This relationship can help strengthen the bonds of respect between students and instructors, therefore making it much easier for studentsto come to particular instructors if they have problems, thus impacting retention in a positive way.
Hi Jodi,
Plus I am guessing that you really enjoy teaching and that is reflected by the attitudes your students have toward talking with you and using you for a resource for their career development. This is what being an instructor is all about. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I agree with mentoring students. We are role models who can bring awareness to students, be it on a local or global basis. Students are open to discussing the "big picture." It is important to remember community engagement and environment protection. We can help our students to develop "soft skills," along with the job related skill set.
I think it loosens them up a bit too. They see me as a real person and then when they have questions or concerns they are not afraid to approach me. I always let them know that I have an open door policy for whatever they need.
I like to mentor my students every day, just taking a little time to discuss their needs. It doesn't take long, but it allows me to stay in touch with them.
Hi Jodi,
The use of small talk to get the students settled in really helps with the development of rapport. The students get to know each other and you a little better and it helps you keep up with what is happening to them outside of class. Sometimes you can find out that you have a student in need of support and encouragement as a result of these sessions.
Gary
I try to start out every class with small talk for the first five minutes to get everyone engaged with me and ready to listen. I also like to give personal encouragement when we are doing labs. If someone who was very nervous starting out does well, I let them know it right away instead of just on their check off sheet. If someone needs some personal guidance on a skill, I make sure I give it without being condescending or I may even direct another student that excels in that area to help out and that give that student a little boost too.
Hi Harmony,
It is great that you have this opportunity. These meetings can give you insight into the students and where they are at in relation to attitude and effort in the course.
Gary
Hi Tony,
This happens occasionally so I understand where you are coming from. What I do is to continue my regular approach and make sure I do all that I can to engage the student and show him/her that I am there to support their success. I know I am doing all that I can do as a professional to develop rapport and if it doesn't happen it isn't because of my efforts.
Gary
In my class we hold individual meetings about every couple of weeks. This is my opportunity to check in the with the students with how they are doing in the class. They are free to ask me any questions that they may have. Generally it lasts about 5 minutes or so, but it is a great way to connect with my students in a positive manner. I am able to give them positive reinforcements.
I am constantly talking to other instructors that have a reputation of excellence and have good retention rates.
WOW! This is a great technique. It could be helpful if a student is too shy to approach the instructor; but, instead, feels comfortable speaking with his/her peers.
Instructors become aware of retention strategies through many elements, including the human factor, personal attention, respect & participation, goals & expectations, and enthusiam & fun, all topics in this unit.
I have found that effective retention strategies need to be tailored to each class. This should happen almost immediately after assessing the maturity level of the class. My classes almost always pattern themselves based on the time of year that the student enrolled. From July to September, the average age of the students drops considerably.
Also, I have found that on about week 4 out of 6, the attention and care level of my students drops dramatically. I teach one of our restaurant classes, which is the capstone course. Most of the focus of the student is diverted to finding new housing and externships. It takes a lot of energy to keep the attention of the students, which is directly related to retention. Based on previous assessments, I have found that this is a good time to ask for assistance with new menu ideas. This keeps them engaged as well as excited for the duration of the class.
Instructors can become aware of effective retention strategies by consulting more experienced successful instructors. They can also check with department chairs and other academic advisors. This way the instructor has a full picture of what assessment means to the institution.
What can I do if I cannot develop a good rapport with one student?
Making a connection with the student either on a personal level or providing an answer to a question the student has pondered.Creating an envrionment where the student can question some of thier own perceptions or question why things are done they way they are.
Ask other experienced instructors what they do to keep students involved in learning.
Ask the students how they learn the best. You could hand out a questionnaire on the first day and give them 3 - 5 questions to answer regarding their learning styles. You can then look at all the responses and find the common threads to help you engage all students in the learning process.
I have found both of these suggestions to be extremely helpful. If a student is engaged in class and feels that the instructor cares about how they learn, they are more likely to come to class.
Instructor can become aware of effective retention strategies utilizing evidence based data. In other words, analyze the data on retention comparatively.
Instructors can do research on retention strategies, take an educational course such as this, talk to other faculty to see what they do. I think that shadowing an effective instructor that has good retention is a great way to learn more about effective strategies for retention. Sometimes instructors who have a good rapport with students aren't really aware of how they accomplish that, but if you can observe them, you will notice that they are caring, enthusiastic, motivating, etc.
