Mario,
Good strategy to use and one that more and more instructors are using. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Annamarie,
Good point and one that cannot be reinforced too much. They need our support and encouragement if they are to stay in school when life pressures become heavy.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Some studdents also have problems they must make decisions that are difficult for them to concentrate to stay in school. We must try to be their support if needed. After they might just stay in and not quit. Some dont have the support at home. Thats why we have to encourage them to stay and accomplish what the have started and be rewarded at the end.
What I find to be most helpful, is at the beginning of each module I will give students my number and have them text me when they are going to be absent. And if they do not text me I text them. Texting seems to be the easiest way to communicate with students now and days.
Joshua,
So true and so important. A student that drops out is lost to the furthering of his or her career development. We can't afford to lose these valuable human resources.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Retention is our biggest concern. Us as instructors are rated on it and our students, in some cases, rely on us to keep them on task and in class. Effective retention is a skill that always needs to be developed.
On the first day of class, I can sense the fear in students sometimes. They have a look of, "I'll never be like her!" I like to tell them about my past experiences, not only as a student, but as a new graduate out in the world. I like to share my mistakes and how I learned from them...
Stacy,
This is always a challenge for instructors. I admire my students that have such challenges because they are trying to better their lives by being in school. When problems arise that are bigger than what they can cope with we try to provide all the support we can to keep them in school. At times this is not possible and they leave us. When they do we set up a plan that will let them come back to school whenever their lives settle down. Many of them do because they know we are there for them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is especially challenging when students have outside concerns that are affecting their ability to participate. I have students that have financial and family concerns that I don't have control over and I know it weighs on their minds.
Donald,
Right you are. Your passion for your field helps to sell your course content to your students. This creates a great opportunity for maximum learning to occur.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is having a passion about your subject and bringing it to the level and the "real life" focus of the students.
Thomas,
You are getting them prepared for the real world but by talking to them individually you are showing the human side of your teaching. Keep up the blending of these two areas as both are essential for the success of your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is also very impostant for instructors to keep his or her laerning strategy flexible to make changes that can cope with different students' career goals development.
It is difficult to draw the line between intimidating and stern. The professional food industry is very much like the military so I have a tendency to rule the class in the same way. Some students like this and others are clearly frightened and intimidated. Sometimes I have to pull them aside and get some feedback from them to determine whether or not they understand my reasoning for being strict.
I agree hard to read adult learners sometimes
Ralph,
Personal attention, respect and rapport are three elements of student success. The more you can use these three the more the students are going to see themselves in the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As a new teacher it was impotant to make the students comfortable but it doesn't always work out. I learned that I need to keep looking at the individuals and remeber that they all are different and the approach needs to be different as such. The more time dedidcated to each student teh more I would see positive results and ways that I could open the class up for more information.
Ed,
Good question and one that does not have a clear answer. My strategy is to use a variety of reinforces and/or rewards for my students. This way my supports will encourage the students and during the process I try to find what they do appreciate. One student may not like awards or pins but really appreciates having the opportunity to interact with the instructor and discuss with him/her a certain topic. This discussion time is a reward for having accomplished so task. The key is to offer variety in terms of rewards and encouragements and hopefully you will find one that really excites that particular student.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Hi Gary and Stephanie,
as an instructor I always have trouble with activities and class structures that I did not like as a student. I never liked awards or pins, etc. How can I present this sort of reward without feeling "fake" since it is not something that I personally appreciate?
Stephanie,
Good strategy. Adults are just taller children so they like to be recognized and rewarded as well. Your methods gives them recognition that serves to motivate and encourage them to continue on their career path.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
