Scott,
I agree with you about how to work with students. I start my classes with the following statement. "Courtesy is owed" I will be courteous to you as a result of enrolling in this class. "Respect is earned" I will strive to earn your respect while you are earning mine. If successful we will work on the next step which is "Rapport is developed". We will work on developing rapport with each other throughout the course. At any time you do not fulfill one of these three we will have a discussion so we can get back on track.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think it's important to treat the students with respect, and treat them as adults, even if sometimes they act like children. Yelling and screaming at people and talking down to them as if they are inferior creates an atmosphere that many students don't want to be a part of, therefore negatively affecting retention.
Laurel,
Knowing why they are enrolled is an important bit of information to have. This information can help you to shape your instructional delivery to meet their learning needs and provide support.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to know my students and why they are interested in the program and remind them how there lives will be different after completion
Creative learning promotes engagement. By increasing the amount of time that student's are participating in the learning process, the information can be better passed along and retained for longer periods and is seen as more enjoyable to the students as they learn.
Camille,
Little things like this make a difference in perception by students. They start to see the professional concern you have for their success and this helps to get them engaged.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Quite literally, I will kneel or even sit down beside a student before talking with them, so that I am talking on their level & not "down to them". This is a subtle technique that makes a really big difference in how the students respond to my feedback.
Brandon,
I agree. The more relevancy and application you can introduce the more accurately the students will see the course content helping them to move toward their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Teaching Surgical technicians and Medical Assistants, I try and relate as much as possible of the material to everyday scenarios that they may face in the job world once they have copleted the course. I feel that adds importance to being in class and truly "getting" the material
MARISSA,
We need to bring enthusiasm about teaching and passion about our content. When we do we will have our students engaged and focused on what we are sharing with them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Student retention may be increased by making our lessons as interesting as possible. We must arrive to class on time, teach our subject matter using enunciations that the studens understand. We must be fair to all students.
Tim,
Good point about the value of interaction with an instructor. Students build on these interactions and develop rapport with the instructor to the point that they strive to be successful because they want the instructor to be proud of them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Doris,
Passion for the content and enthusiasm about sharing it goes a long way in keeping students excited about learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Octave,
I agree with you about the need to create an "I can" attitude in the minds of students. They need to be invested in themselves and their future. If they are and are willing to put forth the effort they will be successful.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
National survey's indicate two realtional factors for student retention. First, students have personal contact with their instructor. The instructors shows interest in the student an her success. Second, the student has at least one person they can call a friend that is also attending school with them. The social/human factor is vital ingredent for student retention.
I feel that for an instructor to increase the students retention the instructor has to be able to keep the student in class and learning not bored out of their mindss and ready for it to be over! Make the material exciting!
My belief is that retention has a lot to do with creating the thought pattern of "I can do this" in students. If they leave the classroom with an understanding of the subject, there is a better chance the students will be back the next day for more.
An excellent way to instill this mindset of self competency in students is to encourage personal tutoring for those who find the subject matter challenging. The irony of it all is that tutoring is a learning experience for not only the students, but also the instructor, as it offers an opportunity to add to one's teaching method "repertoire" by exploring new ways of explaining the subject matter on an individual level.
Finally, personal tutoring is a very gratifying experience when the light of understanding shines from the face of a formerly perplexed student.
Trinity,
Your approach is supportive and friendly for all of your students and this is great. Often our challenging students take all of our time and our high end students don't get the attention that we would like to give them. They are going to do well in the course anyway but a smile, greeting, exchange of words and emails telling they are valued and doing well in the course really seal the deal for them in terms of knowing they are valued. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One of the key factors is spotting an unsettled student and then trying to help solve the issue he/she has. Often it is simply a matter of listening and caring about their situation.
Personal attention. At our school, I am allowed to call my students. They love that extra bit of attention. I realize this would be overwehlming at larger schools, with larger class sizes. I also like to send emails- just letting them know I am available for questions.
My favorite is to email or call them with positive feedback. They never expect it. They love it, and it makes them feel great about their opportunity for success.
I think we often worry so much about those who are not doing as well as they should that we forget those who are doing well. I try to contact students that are doing really well in class- just to let them know that I noticed. They love it. We want to retain them all, right?
