Manal,
Good way to project the professional image of the educator and learning leader you want to be to your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Dressing appropriately, Using professional language,
commitment, being on time and prepared always, show them that we care about them and their circumstances, don't be afraid to say we don't know and ask them to help us for finding the answers.
John,
You are bringing such a rich background of experience to your students. By sharing both your content and your experiences you increase the value of the course for the students. This results in increased engagement and learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As a relatively new college instructor, I draw great strength and insight from my experiences of the past 40 years as a professional in my field of expertise and therefore I am able to refer to these experiences for the student as well as model the expected behavior for the student seeking a career in the hospitality arena.
Dave,
Yes, it does. A good first impression is the foundation for the development of a course that is based upon respect and rapport between and among all of the participants.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
We all know the job interview saying - "There's no second chance for a first impression"; it's also true for starting a new class. The students judge us on how we appear and act so we must set the standard from day one and stay with it. Mutual respect and cooperation make a better class room environment and an easier exchange of information.
Sandy,
Well said and critical for instructional success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Lead by example; if there is a dress code then all instructors should model that code. If there is a scheduled start/stop time for class and breaks, adhere to those times. How can we expect our students to be sucessful when instructors model behaviors that are counter-productive, show them what success looks like by being the role model for success!
Diane,
Thank you for these comments. They are right on in terms of professional conduct and interaction with colleagues. We must remember we are always being observed, listened to and evaluated as educators and then plan our conduct and actions from there.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Deidre and Dr. Meers,
I agree with what Deidre is stating about always being on stage with the students, but want to take this concept one step farther. With teaching in a patient based clinical program, faculty must always be aware of discussions out in the hallway. It is amazing what students ears pick up on; even if the discussion is just small talk! Since students are our consumers, they view this idle chit chat as taking away from their education. Also, two faculty whispering may be perceived as the faculty gossiping about another student. We must always consider our role as models of ideal behavior and what we expect of our students.
Thanks, Diane Osso
Thomas,
Three very good ways to demonstrate your professionalism to your students. Thanks for sharing this list with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
you must dress appropriately for the field your teaching, you must have a good structure and be professional at all times with your students.
Thomas,
I support your position on this. We are their learning leaders so we need to model the behaviors, conduct, dress and language that we expect from our students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Instructors as Role Models. I believe becoming a role model in the classroom is the first step to becoming a teacher.this allows the students to to take the first step to professionalism.
Mark,
You raise a very good discussion topic and one that generates a lot of interest. I taught for a number of years in the inner city of Denver, CO so I can relate to what you are speaking to. My position was that I was teaching my students to enter into and be successful in a career field. As a part of my educational sharing I was going to hold them to the acceptable language standards of the profession. They might use slang or modified language but the end goal was the ability to express themselves in a professional manner. This was a challenge but when one of the graduates would return to school and share his or her story about the interview process and the securing of employment it showed the current students the value of being able to communicate effectively. (We also worked hard on dress, manners, and conduct.)
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Gary,
I am curious to the usage of slang as an ability to convey concepts that are usually mistaken by a student in a format that shows understanding your audience, yet at the same time, delivering a complex scenario or equation as it relates to the material you are teaching.
My students are a mixture of inner city and non-traditional students who can be somewhat mistrusting of authority or the idea of working towards a common goal, not to sound stereotypical. However, the language used within my classroom, in my opinion, represents a mutually understanding and level of respect. Vulgarity is never accepted within my class, yet in proper English or forms of slang I accept as my purpose its to transpose a modern business problem in terms that are commonly understood within my student population, concurrently with showing them the larger picture and the appropriate usage and its application.
I don't want to sound cliche, but the concepts of the films "Stand and Deliver" and "Dangerous Minds" do hold some truths that can utilized within the classroom. Have others felt this within the realm of higher ed?
Shaun,
Passion for one's field and enthusiasm for teaching about it goes a long way in "selling" the course to students. The real life experiences help to make the course come alive and have value for the students in terms of their career growth.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that if you show enthusiasm and real life experiences,they will have a better connection with them.
Nathanael,
This is such a good approach to use in helping your students understand the standards of their field. By dressing the part and then giving real world examples and case studies for your students to consider you are showing them the realism of the field. By having this information the transition for your students from the classroom to the workplace will be much easier. Keep up the good work!
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I just started teaching for the first time less than a month ago. It's part time at night, and I still work in my career field full time (Manager: Mixer for TV and Film). I've seen some mention dressing the part in this thread and proper languange. Agreed. I also have spent a few minutes each class giving them real work encounters I've had in the workplace. I'll give them the scenerio and ask them how they would handle the situation, or I might just tell them the full story up front and what a work culture expects of them. I feel it's just as important that they know how to act in a work environment as well as do the job. As the class has proceeded, I've been insisting that the students model what we've discussed while in class. The idea being that they learn how to behave in the classroom so that when they get to the workplace, they will have an easier time seeing the work culture and adapting to it.
