Get Your Students Hired
The instuctors are our front line, ears and eyes. I also think that it part of the instructor job to make sure of the student success
Ultimately as the instructor you are the face of the organization. Student's trust you like no other individual on site. Don't take advantage of that trust, don't lie or mislead, but use it to show them the true value of the product. I hate to speak of bottom line, but if we fail we are unemployed... then how many student's can we help?
First off, keep up on what all the other shepherds are doing (a shepherd can not understand the sheep without being able to sometimes be a sheep himself - constantly improve your herding techniques.)Talk with other shepherds, get to know them... Are there any wolves stalking around in the underbrush? Do you use a salt lick? How often do you shear yours?
Second, a shepherd keeps a constant eye on his flock. Even when they think you are not watching, you are watching. Even when they may think you are not listening, you are listening. The flock changes constantly - the only constant in life is change. If you can change with the flock, you can keep them interested. If you take an interest in not just their progress or their well-being, but in who they are, in what they are and what they are becoming - eyes and ears always open - one can anticipate the changes from individual to individual and group to group.
Third, don't always let them know they are being so closely watched. Sheep often act markedly different when you try too hard or too obviously to make them feel at ease as you probe for more information on their particular flavor of sheepliness.Take the time to listen to even the gossip that inevitably arises, sheep will be sheep. Not to be taken seriously, but things like this let one see more of the group dynamic between your particular sheep. Who's biting who? Who's starting to grow their horns and is now head butting all the other sheep? Even if you're a non-smoking shepherd, hang out in the smoking area with the "black sheep" - surprising amount of information to be had there. "Oh! it's just such a nice day, I thought I'd come outside for a change."
Fourth, be at least somewhat entertaining. Sheep do respond to a shepherd who knows his material backward and forward, but they will still get bored. The good sheep will endure, but the borderline sheep will be lost entirely. Appreciate the good, they will almost take care of themselves. Entertain the bad ones enough to keep them coming back. If successful, some of the previously "bad" sheep who come back are surprisingly entertaining in and of themselves - they may not have left because they are "bad" - they may have gotten lost because they were actually gifted sheep who got bored. The mix of sheep with which one ends up will encourage diversity and tolerance and develop a stronger flock. Of course, pure entertainment without substantive knowledge will never cause the sheep to develop a sense of respect for their shepherd.
Fifth, don't be harsh with your sheep. Excess force will only make them either shy away, or resist with equal and opposite force. It may sound somewhat untoward, but a good shephard is also a good manipulator. There are numerous books out in the world (most also available on-line) that speak of how to influence the behavior of others. Psychological, intellectual and emotional sleight of hand. This doesn't always sound like an admirable avenue, but sometimes even the greatest shepherds must speak in parables - a spoonful of psychology helps the medicine go down.
As for the horses? Either put a saddle on 'em or ship 'em off to the glue factory. Gotta go, 9:00pm.
How do you keep the flock together and working with you? The sheep can also choose another shepherd or decide to be horses.
Retention is important to both the instructors and front office. Although the instructors have day to day communication; all the school should be involved with the statistical portion and person to person communication.
We are the Shepherds and they are the Sheep... Except, in this case, the sheep choose their shepherd.
True but it can be a challenge to keep some interested that do not have a interest from the start.
I agree. The instructors are the ones who see the students from when they arrive to when they leave. We see if they are learning and if they are interested.