Hi Connie,
Nicely stated! The relationship should be strictly professional, too many problems are generated when the relationship becomes personal in nature.
Patricia
Hi Joy,
I agree 100%! Great questions and perfect responses! Students do not need another friend, but they can use as many role models as they can get.
Patricia
It helps to maintain a healthy enviornment in the class when you are able to have that strickly professional relationship with all your students. There is no risks of favoritism because you are buddies with some students and not others. In their future work places it may help them as well to have been able to benefit from their instructor maintaining a professional distance with the student/instructor relationship as it is most offen the same in the work place with supervisor/employee.
Hi Melissa,
We also have to remember that respect goes two ways. We expect our students to respect us, and we should respect our students.
Patricia
Students need a role model, an instructor, a mentor, etc. in the classroom, not a friend. As an instructor we need to be there to help all of the students excel in a professional manner.
Respect is the most important element to maintain in order to bring academic success to students.
Melissa
It is very easy to confuse boundaries if the professional image is compromised. Once this happens, it is difficult to repair it. It is easier to maintain the image than to repair.
Melissa
Hi Luis,
Perception is everything. Students will judge us in many different ways as you have mentioned, such as dress, speech, nonverbal communications, classroom presentation, etc.
Patricia
Hi Christine,
All students should be treated the same. It is not right to have teacher's pet so to speak. Be fair to all.
Patricia
Hi Bruce,
Distance is vitally important! Students should have boundaries established by the instructor.
Patricia
Hi Charlin,
You're right! Students should definitely want to emulate the image we project once they enter the professional world.
Patricia
Hi Deborah,
Nicely stated! Great example! The chain of command should always be respected, followed, and abided by.
Patricia
Hi Amie,
In the classroom the relationship should be strictly professional, and instructors do not need to have a personal relationship with students off campus either.
Patricia
Being an instructor is much like being a parent. Your students should see you as the "adult" not as their "friend". This keeps the class environment on a professional level. Also, students will see it as favoritism if you have a personal relationship with some of the students in the class.
Because in the "Real world" you are not "buddy-buddy" with your boss...thats why in the real world you have friends and you have a manager(s). Maintaining a professional respect for the chain of command (example:your mangers)is very healthly, professional, and keeps it from becoming complicated to the rest of the staff.
Integrity! They need to only see you as a professional, as oposed to a friend who may hook them up or otherwise make a judgement call in their favor because of the relationship
Projecting a image the student aspires to help keep thier intrest.
You do not want to be thier frined, but thier teacher. Always maintain that distance.
Because as an instructor you should always be professional, you should be respected not necessarily liked.
Hi Sharon,
Absolutely! A line has to be drawn, and students should not be allowed to cross it.
Patricia
