I completely agree!! The more you become friends and buddies with your students the less likely they will respect you as an professor and will try to take advantage of you. There has to have boundaries set.
Maintaining a professional distance from students is important because it may cause other students in the class to get the perception of a particular student receiving favortism. This can cause other students to lose respect for you or give them the impression that they can befreind you in the same manner. It is important to be approachable but still be able to keep the relationship on a "student to teacher" level. This also allows you to maintain the respect of your peers.
Maintaining a professional distance from students establishes a line of respect. It also keeps students from thinking that they are "friends" with the instructor. It also represents the professional distance of an employee and supervisor and gives students a chance to understand how that relationship works.
Reasons for Maintaining a Professional Distance:
Objectivity
Even when you go into a professor's office, you are aware that only a certain level of friendliness is acceptable. This is because this person has to remain objective in assessing your class performance. Good grades aren't given to the cute one or the funny one. Good grades are given based on how well you've measured up to the objective standards of the professor as he maintains a professional distance. My professor didn't write back probably because I was no longer part of this educational mechanism. While it's certainly okay for him to like me as a person, the fact remains that he knew me as a student through his lens of academic objectivity.
Time Management
Time management comes into play as a reason for maintaining a professional distance in an obvious way. Professors can be likeable, for example, but they are still doing a job. This is why they depend on regular office hours and have to limit their contacts to people who are actually in the class. In sum, understanding the reasons for maintaining a professional distance can put a beneficial distance between you and your emotions. By this I mean that, when you see a situation for what it is, you're given the chance to give your emotions a much needed perspective.
Also, this need to maintain a professional distance doesn't just apply to college professors. Think of your boss' attitude. Is this person always friendly? Do they act distant because they don't like you, or is it because they have to be objective in rating your job performance?
Hi Shoukat,
Nicely stated! As instructors we should certainly lead by example.
Patricia
I belive that students need to percieve of their instructor someone who projects a Professional image on Day #1 of the class. Students need to see that their Instructors are Professional in every aspects so they can look up to them as Role Models. Becoming a Friend is Detrimental to the nature of Instructor's student's relationship.
Hi Florita,
Nice response! It is a big difference between being friends with students and being friendly to students.
Patricia
Hi Tammara,
Nicely stated! Students will respect you more if you do what is expected of you.
Patricia
Hi Cheryl,
The classroom should be a place where business takes place. I concur, the students needs to know very little about the instructor personally.
Patricia
When students see you as something more than their instructor, you can set yourself up for problems. I see that where I teach. Were a teacher is very friendly but basically has lost respect formt the students and his peers.
It is important that your students respect you. Students do not respect someone who acts like their friend. I try to be friendly with my students but I still maintain a professional distance. I know about some of my students personal lives but make sure they only know what is needed about my personal life.
ther could be legal issues, discrimination and unethical problems you could bring upon yourself.
Influence that is powerful enough to get your students to want to behave and want to learn is not born of peer-like friendship, casualness, or laid-back coolness.It is born of likeability and respect. You should want your students to like you because you’re friendly and good-humored, and respect you because you always do what you say you’re going to do.
Yes the risk of allowing your students to become to close may ruin the professional rapport that makes them respect and follow your lead..
You do not want to become the students' friends; you hope to gain their trust and respect so they are motivated to come to you without hesistation
I agree with friendly but not friends. I do not share intimate information and urge students not to share intimate information with me. I do find out much private information which I overhear students share during clinical, So I remind students they may not wish to share information with instructors, other studentsa, or co-workers. Part of out job is to train students for their future jobs. As such I am comfortable with students calling me by my first name, I realize not all instructors are comfortable with this and inform students that they need to respect the wishes of instructors how they wish to be adressed, just as patients desire to be adressed. Since I feel these students will be working with me as a coworker, they can call me by my first name, this is my way of demonstrating trust and respect to them as nursing students entering a nursing profession. In return, I expect professional behavior which I model for my students
Mike
Mike
Mike
It is important to maintain a professional distance from students to acquire and maintain respect of all students.
At the same time remain respectful and friendly to students to students, so they are aware they can approach the instructor with any problem they have.
Hi Victoria,
The instructor must certainly carry himself/herself in way so that it is clearly demonstrated who is in charge. Your demeanor and appearance as an isntructor are crucial.
Patricia
Hi Jesse,
Great points made! A student/teacher relationship at the collegian level should be STRICTLY BUSINESS, any other type of relationship is totally unprofessional.
Patricia
This seperation is very important to maintain especially with adult learners. Being that we often teach students who are our are or even older. This separation of you as "teacher" and them as "student" is purely based on your expertise and the relationship you foster. This is different in the elementary and high school setting when the student has more of a parental view of teachers and the age and position help set-up role expectations. It is for these reasons that I avoid ALL personal contact with my students. This includes facebook, email, etc...
