Instructor professionalism
I have a few question's for Instructors that continue to conduct them self's in a manner that was acceptable in the field but is not acceptable in the classroom. Do you believe the students respect you? Do you manage your class by the professional guidelines your college requires or do you turn a blind eye to student professionalism in the class? If you do challenge students about their professionalism does it turn into a confrontation?
Instructor professionalism is something I often think about but don't feel I am effectively managing. I feel some honest and candid responses will help me understand what this type of Instructor is thinking and ultimately will allow me to educate the Instructor.
Being new in this arena, I am lerning how to be an instructor, this is all very new and challenging, so I must ask, Doesn't your instructor bring Professionalism with him? Pride in his work?
Hi Juan,
Welcome to the profession. Glad to hear that you are having a good experience. Also, good to hear that you received the comment about being prepared. This is the sign of a developing professional. You are going to have a great teaching career.
Gary
I've been teaching for couple months now and I'm still feeling like there is a lot for me to learn. But I try to prepare my classes as much and carefully as I can. And one great compliment I recieved few weeks ago was from students comenting how well prepare I was for clesses.
Hi Laurie,
You make an excellent point about knowing all the facts before approaching another faculty member. Make sure that you always present a professional face in your class and the students will start to reflect that same professionalism that you share. This will help them later with their career growth.
Good job!
Gary
I agree with everyone's comments regarding unprofessionalism. It makes the job so much more difficult when one is teaching a class behind a less than professional instructor. I believe it is important to - as a department - to establish standards of conduct as a team, with the supervisor actually enforcing these standards. One note however, as we all know, it is possible that the students are attempting to "play" one instructor off of another so, get your facts straight before confronting a co-worker based on information from a (possibly) disgruntled student!
Matt,
I think the most effective way to get instructors to conduct themselves professionally is to lead by example. Also get the instructor to watch a class that is being conducted in a less than professional manner.
Hi James,
You make a good point about setting the bar high. In the career college setting we are there to provide business/industry level training and we must maintain that level or we will soon be out of business.
Gary
Unfortunately there will always be behavioral differences from class to class. From my personal experiences it seems that the instructors that step below the line do so that the students feel like they are having a great time while in that instructors class. Later when, when that student has been in a class where the bar is held a professional level, the student will come forward and state that they realize now they did not get the education that they should have from the instructor that just let the students have a free for all. Hold the bar high, the student body will always respect you and what you have thought them in the end.
Hi Roy,
Sad isn't it when student performance leads to the student being suspended. Like everything else we need to work on early intervention and try to spot potential problems and keep the students included and making both personal and career progress.
Gary
I myself put up with that same problem. By the time I see some of our studens, they have been free to do as they please. Unfortunately, some of those students end up paying a larger price by being suspended from school.
I treat them like co-workers, as if we were at work. I don't talk down to them and I expect the same.
I agree with Richard. As an instructor you must walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
Hi Brad,
If the high bar you set for your class is based upon business and industry standards it is easier for you to explain why you have the standards you have. You are only asking the students to achieve the standards that will make them employable in the future. To do less is to short change them in their training and we all know they do not want that. It seems though at times they forget why they are in the program in the first place, so the complain when they are asked to work hard and progress in their learning.
Gary
Hi Kirk,
You make a good point about professionalism. When you have fellow instructors acting in unprofessional ways it makes it hard to work in such setting. Based upon you statement about shaping up the students once they enter your class I can tell that you strive to maintain the professional atmosphere that is needed for student growth. My advice is to not let the non-professional instructors drag you and your standards down to their level. Hopefully the college administration will catch on and help those instructors to improve or ask them to leave. What ever happens you know you have taken the high road professionally.
Gary
You first set the standard in your class as what your looking for in profession acting worker and how they get the better job and more stable jobs. Set the bar high and the students normally will obtain that goal.
I have seen unprofessional instructors that pretty much give the students the free rein to act unprofessionally themselves. It gets real hard to get the students to shape up once they get into my class.
Hi Richard,
Well said. You must be that model for the career area. This gives the students something to shoot for as they complete their training.
Gary
Hi Jon,
Showing the way to be a professional is critical to the growth of students. Anything you can do to help students to know what a professional is in their field and how to develop into that professional is a major part of being a teacher.
Keep up the good work.
Gary
I agree with Richard. You must always have the standard of professionalism to fall back on. I believe that if you are consistently professional the respect that the student has for you will be enduring. As the instructor, that one student may remember you and model your behavior the rest of their professional life.
