Creating a positive instructor image
What steps can you take to create a positive instructor image?
Dressing the part as if you were going to work in the field that you are preparing your students for.
Organized desk and presentations while standing confident in front of the class.
Your appearance and approach can go a long way towards gaining your students respect and confidence.
It is important to dress and speak professionally at all times. I think it is okay to share a few personal tidbits to help build rapport with students, but an instructor needs to maintain a certain distance from the students.
Honesty is the best policy.no one can know everything about a subject.when asked a question you dont have an answer to tell them you know where to find it.refering to text manuals and other sources
I totally agree. By being confident and competent in the subject it just makes it more comfortable to meet the expectations of objectives of the course. Plan and develop lesson plans based on what it is that is important for a student to learn or skills that they will need in their profession. Sometimes we want to teach them everything we know, but we need to look at it from their view and what is important and relevant, instead of something we would like to teach.
The steps that I would take to creating a positive instructor image, is first by starting with myself. I need to be prepared before I present any material. I study the material before I start teaching and prepare myself for the lecture on a daily basis, even if I have taught the material over and over. When I am not confident with what I am teaching, I have not created a negative self image for myself and students may pick up on that.
I bring a positive attitude into my classroom everyday and I do not pretend to know everything. When we pretend to know everything and we setting ourselves up for a fall.
I treat all my students with respect and dignity and I promote community awareness in my class. I tell my students that those who help those in need or serve their community are invaluable as a human being. Also helping others will help to foster self image.
I believe that instructors who have a positive outlook on life will bring that into the classroom. Those that are faking the positive image will soon be found out. Instructors need to remember that students feed off of us.
Hi Roxsie,
Organization and preparation are a must. Students do not like it nor deserve it when an instructor is unorganized and/or unprepared. Our students deserve our very best every day.
Patricia Scales
I always try to maintain a professional appearance to start. I also try to be as prepared as possible to present the material for that class. When you wing it and have not reviewed the material your presenting, it is very obvious even to students that know very little about the material.
I think by being organized and prepared for class helps to promote a positive image. Also practice speaking in front of a group of people before going into the class room.
Hi Russell,
I love your perspective! Making learning look easy is a super way to motivate and encourage students.
Patricia Scales
Creating a positive instructor image is very important. Students focus in on an instructor whether they be new or just a different instructor than before. They listen to see how they can either push the rules or if you as the instructor will not tolerate any different than the rules set by your institution. Students pick up on your competence in the class room from day one they can tell of you know the subject matter or if you are just blowing smoke. It is important to be on top of your game at all times. I have found that if I am honest with them from day one, let them know that if I do not know an answer I will look it up and come back with the correct answer. I have found that students respect you for that response rather than faking an answer. By being prepared and knowing your subject matter is always a plus, then by bringing in guest speakers who are working in the field at present helps to seal the information that you are talking about in the classroom. If you present a positive image in your respect for the student, knowledge of the subject matter, can maintain a positive learning environment. you will have a group of students who are eager to attend your class, will make your teaching enjoyable to be there everyday.
There are plenty of books telling you how to "dress for success" and control your body language. But keeping on top of your personal traits is only part of the story of managing your professional image, says Roberts. You also belong to a social identity group—African American male, working mother—that brings its own stereotyping from the people you work with, especially in today's diverse workplaces. You can put on a suit and cut your hair to improve your appearance, but how do you manage something like skin color?
Roberts will present her research, called "Changing Faces: Professional Image Construction in Diverse Organizational Settings," in the October issue of the Academy of Management Review.
She discusses her research in this interview.
Mallory Stark: What is a professional image?
Laura Morgan Roberts: Your professional image is the set of qualities and characteristics that represent perceptions of your competence and character as judged by your key constituents (i.e., clients, superiors, subordinates, colleagues).
Respect and knowledge are key to creating and maintaining a positive instructor image. Give respect and show that there is a reason you are teaching the class. I sometimes hear "chef makes it look so easy". First of all, I am demonstrating the proper technique and ease by which the technique can be executed and secondly, if I didn't make it look so easy...would you want me to to be teaching you?
I love that statement "Lead by example"! It has always been my motto in everything that I do, from parenting to coaching to teaching, etc.
Unfortunately, I think that a lot of people miss the greatest opportunity to teach when they fail to lead by example!
Display confidence in yourself and your knowledge of the field you are teaching.
Hi Patricia,
We need to be the professionals that we want our students to become. Continue to lead by example, and it will rub off on a few students.
Patricia Scales
I prepare myself for the evening. Making sure that all of my books and necessary supplies are ready for teaching. By doing so, I am hopefully impressing my students to do the same.
Sharing your experience in the field with regards to your subject matter is vitally important being seen as an expert. As a new instructor trying different delivery approaches based on student surveys is one way I've tried to grow.
Instructor positive image begins on day one. Instructors need to be excited about the class that is beginning, happy to see students arrive, be engaging upon arrival with students, and confident with the material that will be taught. A good instructor is approachable, a good listener as well as a good speaker. Being a positive instructor means having a positive attitude and present course materials in a positive learning environment.
I use actual life experiences in my career to supplement the classwork and lessonplan. I share both success and failures with my students to help them realize that in order to walk sometimes u must stumble and fall!!
the first step is having confidence in yourself. Being very knowledgeable in your field will help you with this confidence.
