Maintaining a professional image
Why is maintaining a professional distance from students an important part of class management?
Maintaining a professional distance as well as an image helps you, the instructor to be focus and to do your job. The image also set the tone for the classroom and the students. The students will know that they are being taught by a professional that can maintain the balance of being a professional by not bringing in his/her personal issues into the classroom. Here is a professional that will be fair and consistence.
The instructor must be the model professional. They are grooming and molding students to become professionals. If they act unprofessional by blurring the lines by becoming a "friend," I believe they will lose control, and, respect of the class.
It is important that instructors maintain a professional distance, relation with, from their students. This will enable instructor to apply practical pedagogy in teaching his/her students. It allows instructors to deal with difficult students and address his/her class in objective manner and apply effective classroom management principles; it also create an atmosphere where student develop a healthy rapport of confidence in the instructor.
Students have come to be taught by instructors, they did not come to school and pay money to have a "friend".
Although we need to develop good rapport with our students, we definitely need to maintain a professional distance. Our students need to see us as role models who are experienced in the field rather than "buddies." Maintaining a professional distance helps students make the distinction.
Maintaining a professional image and distance from students is important to instill fairness for all students and establish a role model for the students on professionalism.
I am not a peer of my students. Their peers are their fellow students. It is my responsibility to maintain this distance so that I will remain objective should difficulties with a student occur.
It helps in keeping an objective prospective in the class room.
To keep the student's focus on their long range goal of having their own professional career.
It makes you more respectable.
The professional image begins from day one. In my business classes I make it a point to look and act the part. I take pride in wearing my business attire and sharing my real world knowledge. This is a great approach because many students in the past have told me that they see me as a role model and would like to enjoy the same success that I have. To me this is a well rounded approach because in business would you believe that someone can make you successful if they do not look the part? Looking and acting the part makes the students believers and keeps them motivated.
It is of extreme importance to dress the part. Be the professional and show our students how a professional dresses and behaves. We are their role models.
In my experience, instructors who attempt to become "buddies" with their students and do not keep a professional distance from them tend to be taken advantage of. They are less respected, and it seems that students doubt their ability as an instructor and as an expert in the field.
You must maintain a professional image in order to have respect in the classroom for both the students and yourself.
Because you don't want to become labeled as having favorites
Remaining professional with your students will set the mood for the remaining class time. I’ve made the mistake once before of befriend a student of mine that later turned into a bad situation and not a positive outcome but a positive learning experience.
Earning the respect of the students improves the learning possibilities. Also, modeling successful behavior is as much a part of teaching as the lectures.
