Maintaining a professional distance from students an important part of class management because it keeps professional top priority. When you get too close to students you blur professional lines. You feel overly comfortable and began to share personal information. If you are too close to students they lack respect for you. I like to keep a open door professional relationship. I am there to educate, mentor, and provide guidance. I am not there to make friends. I worked for a school as an instructor and neither my students nor coworkers knew I had small children. I am not ashamed of my family but I just don’t volunteer my personal information. I brought my family to a school event and everyone was shocked. I am not ridged but value professionalism in the workplace and especially in my classroom.
The students must learn to respect professional ethics from day one, this is why it is important for maintaining this distance to be able to control your class and gain their respect as well.
Hi Vallene,
You are on point! Our students need role models not additional friends.
Patricia Scales
Maintaining a professional image is critical the credibility and ultimate acceptance of the instructor by the student. It is important that the students see the instructor as an authority figure and subject matter expert. It helps the student's confidence and belief system that the instructor is the "go to" person for knowledge, guidance, and advice. When an instructor crosses the line between professionalism and being a friend, the credibility of being the person in authority is lost.
I need to establish who is in charge. Making myself out as a friend will compromise this effort. I believe I am "friendly" and approachable, but I don't forget that my image of instructor and role model must include keeping a professional distance from my students.
Rightfully so, my employer policies disallow any student contact outside of school activities.
As an instructor I feel you have to be careful of becoming friends with students.
Modeling appropriate professional behavior in the classroom as well as maintaining professional distance from individual students provide the opportunity for professors to remain objective. Students are interesting in learning from an expert rather than gaining a friend.
I think you need to show students you care, but you are still an instructor. A teacher cannot be too friendly with students because they will lose professional respect. I give a lot of encouragement and provide an air of open communication.
By maintaining a professional image not only will an instructor make students aware that there's a line between student and instructor, but also give each student insight as to how they will be expected to act in their chosen field. By maintaining a professional demeanor, I demonstrate every day that respect is called for at all times and that this relationship is a two way street. Modeling the professionalism they will be expected to depict once working in the field.
Instructors should strive to model the desired behavior for students. If you act too casually with students, they will reciprocate. If you maintain the standards of professionalism, they will learn to to do the same - whether they realize it or not, they will absorb and adopt aspects of your behavior and demeanor as they come to respect you more and more. We are their daily role models. Being overly familiar would demonstrate to them the wrong process of interaction in a business hierarchy. We owe it to them to show them the more formal standards of such interaction so they can confidently interact with the respect and manners expected in their career field.
There is another aspect of professional behavior that needs mentioning. I teach web design and on occasion I have had students try to involve me in business ventures outside of class. Most schools would see this as a conflict of interest and I avoid these situations by politely declining.
My students are not allowed to use my first name until they graduate, when they become my peers. Some of the male students would like to address me as they do a female friend. That's crossing a line, in my book, and not tolerated. I correct my students immediately when they do not address me properly.
Hi WENDY,
Nicely stated! An instructor/student relationship should be strictly professional. When personal is brought into the relationship too much is at risk.
Patricia Scales
Maintaing a professional distance from students is an essential part of classroom management. Once you have crossed a boundary with a student they will never let you cross back to the other side. In addition to the classroom managment, professional distance provides the student with a view of what the real job world is like, for example the supervisor/employee relationship.
When maintaining a professional image at all times it teaches the students to always be professional on the job with patients and with staff. If we teach the students this from the beginning they will carry it with them throughout their career. W Clay
As a instructor, you want to make your students feel knowledgable that you can be a leader, you don't want to feel you are their friend, in doing so will allow them to think that there are special privledges that they are entitled to.
I agree, As an instructor if we are not presenting our self professionally at all time then we are teaching the students that they can get away with not maintaining their professionalism.
Hi Suzanne,
Boundaries must be established in a student/instructor relationship. Students need to realize we are there to guide and facilitate them, but we are the person of authority. We must respect students and in turn most students will respect us. Lead by example.
Patricia Scales
I have unfortunately seen this and have experienced it my self when I was a new instuctor. Students become too comfortable, loose respect for your authority. It is a fine line to be able to guide a student when they are having problems that interfere with their education, but it is also imperative they respect your boundries.
Hi Tracey,
An instructor should never befriend a student. This type of relationship is way too risky!
Patricia Scales
