By knowing what the student needs are and how to address them in an learning environment. By keeping the door open for up and downword commucation between the instructor and the student so as to find out if the student has a problem that needs to be solve now to prevent the student from learning.
By knowing what the student needs are and how to address them in an learning environment.
There is no doubt in my mind. Comunication is the key. If the students have your confidence and trust they will comunicate their problems to you. It may not always be direct conversation and could come in a form of their facial expressions, body lanquage and other cues you must be aware of. Simply showing concern and a willingness to help may bring the problem out in the light.
Hi Stephen,
You make a very good point about keeping your finger on the pulse of the class. Be asking for input from your students you will be able to change course when needed to meet the needs of your current students.
Gary
Talking to a more experienced instructor
who has been dealing with students for
a while is one way to learn new and better
ways to engage students in learning
and therefore gain better retention,
but talking with the students about
the work being done in class to get their
ideas on what kept them interested and
what may have been more interesting so
as the class moves forward it can be tailored
to that specific class's needs.
We can provide more excitement in the classroom. Make learning fun and spontaneous. Switch it up in the classroom, for example,(let the students teach and grade work for a day). You can learn by doing research, as in web sites, observation, and communication.
Dan,
I think the employer/employee model is an effective approach provided that the "employer" is a coaching type employer rather than a command and control type employer. As long as you address each concern with enthusiasm and encouragement and demonstrate how correcting shortcomings is in the student's best interest while helping the student develop positive means of resolving the shortcoming I think this can be very effective.
We provide on-going instructor training sessions for our instructors. I will make sure that effective retention strategies become an integral part of those sessions. Word of mouth must also play a large role in ensuring that every instructor is exposed to these concepts. Many instructors pay more heed to peers than to supervisors. Do you have other possible methods that can be used to make these practices SOP?
An effective retention strategy would have to be born right there in your classroom. What I mean to say is, you won't know what's effective until you try many different things.
My retention numbers aren't the best. Until taking this program I didn't realize that there was any strategy to improve your student retention.I,m going to pay close attention to the content of this course and hopefully I will have better retention of students that come in contact with me.
Make each and every day a worthwhile experience for students and be sure that each student attains some measure of succcess each and everyday. Otherwise students will choose to spend their time and money in another way. Students vote with their feet.
by being open with students,give them a sence of importance,ask how they are(all together)you can notice the responds,the students that do,the students that dont.keep the class interesting.do not bore them.if the class is boreing, the students are bored.now they may not want to be there.
They can take courses like this one. They can talk to other instructors. They can read professional journals. They can take a risk and try some creative strategies. Best of all participate in this forum. Lots of good ideas.
In the school I am in, it is relatively easy to see who is motivated and who is not. What I do is talk to the individual and see what I can do to help and sometimes give specialized assignments that they themselves suggested,that deals with the subject they are learning. And if that fires them up , then I have won, but if it does not, I re-evalute and try something else. There is always a way to a students passions, it just takes time to discover what it is. Then retention takes care of itself.
there are many ways, taking courses like this, talking to other teachers and examining the individual needs of our students, just to name a few.
i like to find out what is going on with the studentds in there personal life and try to help solve some problems they may be going through.just showing a little compassion seems to make a huge difference
One of the things I do is I'll use one of my students that I belive is having a hard time gaining a concept. By using him as an example of the ideal way of doing somthing and say this is the way it should be done,that way the student does not have to answer right or wrong he is just used as the right example.
Hi Carol,
Your college has a great model of making a number of contacts with each student on a regular basis. I commend your college and faculty for taking these most important steps to learning about how the students are doing and looking for any problems that might be out there.
Gary
We must understand the student. Many students have issues in their lives that they are always thinking about. It is imporant that we encourage the student to focus on the subject at hand. This in many ways will help with retention and their personal lives.
At my small school, we have a retention activity every month. It can be as simple as cookies for all students or an ice cream social. In addition, we have three individual meetings with new students per quarter to ask them how things are going and to get to know them better. In my classes, I try to always make a personal note on student papers and oral comments about how they are doing. I also start the first day of each new class by having students write down what they would like to get out of the class. During the semester I review their notes to see if I am hitting their targets. I also make them aware that I am available certain times if they have concerns or questions. If I have someone who seems to be struggling with something (personal or academically), I try to tactfully approach the student.
Carol Silvis
