Hi Courtney,
That's right, we should be the professionals that we want our students to become because they really do emulate us.
Patricia Scales
Hi Steven,
I concur! It is fine to be friendly toward yours students but not their friends.
Patricia Scales
Hi Janet,
You certainly have the right mindset! Students look up to us as professionals, and we should act accordingly.
Patricia Scales
Hi Nashon,
That's right, we should show our students what professionalisim is all about so that they have a great role model to imitate.
Patricia Scales
Hi James,
Boundaries must be established with students. The instructor/student relationship should be strictly professional in nature.
Patricia Scales
Lead by example, students model their instructors and therefore must be professional at all times. They are always watching and learning, so be sure your encounters are professional as well.
Instructors want to be liked and furthermore respected by their students. A fine line though is often crossed, when an instructor goes to far and becomes more of a friend (buddy) to his/her students to get that respect. I'm all for having fun in the classroom and being a role model or someone my students can talk to about their issues outside of the clasroom, but we all must pay attention to that line and never cross it.
Maintaining a professional image also means maintaining a professional distance. i think this is important to students because they want to believe that their instructors are knowledgeable and have their best interests at heart. This enhances the learning environment. I believe that it also builds trust between student and teacher. When i am wearing the uniform of my profession I feel more confident and able and I feel thay the students I serve benefit.
Yes, I agree. Your student will always judge you based on their perception of you. And how they percieve us is based on how we display ourselves...
It's almost the same thing you do with patients. You do want them to feel as though they are appreciated. But at the same time you do not want to cross the bounds of being a professional. I you maintain that image you just set a standard in class.
We need to maintain a professional image so students know what will be expected of them in the workplace, also.
It is important because if they see you as freinds then learning objectives get in the way and the students feels like you should be on their level instead of mentoring them
We are the professionals. If we don't display the proper actions of a professional we are not teaching our students how to act professionally. Maintaining a distance while letting them know you care about their education is crucial to the learning community. It can be difficult at times because we are all human. Yet, it has to be maintained to keep the respect between student and instructor balanced.
Our professional image to is in direct contact with the students. Our behavior, by modeling the professional we expect them to be, is one way. When I model respect to a student and to my fellow colleagues, I am modeling the behavior I would like the student to exhibit while in school and outside in the work force.
As an instructor my role is to facilitate learning not to be their friend. That is why it is important to have a professional image. It is also important to prevent any misunderstanding.
By maintaining a professional stand point the instructor can be able to stand outside of an area of friendship which can lead to favoritism and lack of focus. By remaining professional the instructor can show that he or she is concerned about their learning in his or her class without becoming too tied to the individual.
Just like any professional we sould ALWAYS look the part...
Hi Maureen,
I concur! The student/instructor relationship should be kept strictly professional.
Patricia Scales
Becoming "friends" with students creates disadvantages for both parties. For the instructor, a loss of respect occurs, accusations of favoritism can be made and the trust between teacher and student is lost. For the students, their level of learning will be compromised as they will likely become less motivated to perform - feeling that their friend will understand.
The entire classroom setting, the rules, the ability to learn dissolves.
Charity,
In our institution, we have been told we can listen but can't offer advice as a counselor, therapist, or psychologist would. Instead, we empathize but refer students to available resources such as licenced professionals that the institution provides free to the students. Of course, not all students take advantage of these, but at least they are aware they have such resources.
Felicia
