I agree, I hate it when I see a good tech that thinks he is "all that". Humility is a quality that is essential.
Make it clear that their work is a reflection of them. When people see you take pride in the job you do, they will for an opinion of you based on your work.
I ensure that I am always early for class, am dressed appropriately and have my handouts, lecture notes in order.
I also equate their behavior in the class room with that of the workplace.
I attempt to make a contract with my students. I will be on time, treat them with respect and facilitate their learning to the best of my ability; in turn they will attend class, respect me and their classmates, follow directions and complete homework on time.
I would agree it is important for students to see their instructors have passion for the field. Their excitement will translate to the students for the given subject matter.
By modeling behavior that is positive and professional your students will see the positive they will receive from their co workers. I have instructed my students to always treat others in their field the way they would like to be treated. They will see a much more positive attitude from their co workers as well.
I think that as a role model instiling pride into the students will best help. by doing and showing them my deadication to the craft, they chose this specific carrer field for a reason, and the passion and love that they put into their learning will show when they enter the work force.
An aid to student success is their ability to transfer classroom information to real world application. Sharing examples of projects from the instructor's professional career outside the classroom is beneficial.
Hi, Timothy. I agree that your overall disposition is observed closely by students. They monitor how you behave, and in some cases, how you dress. They assess whether or not you seem to be knowledgeable, and this can impact how they engage themselves in the field.
Act professionally. Develop humility. Knowledge of any field is critical but there are many cases where technological advances will dictate that in a competitive environment one may not know everything there is. Once students grasp this it can reduce a lot of the pressure they feel. However, admitting to "gaps" in ones knowledge is only the first step to actually seeking the answers necessary. I feel that it is very important to have and show passion for you subject matter. Only then can one make it interesting and fun to learn or simply demonstrate the importance of it in the students career field.
To be a role model. I have to keep abreast of all the developments in my area of expertise. be organized in my classwork, understand yt students' needs, understand, my school's mission, and work with my colleagues.
Hi James,
Thank you for your good comments about how students need to develop a sense of professionalism as they progress in their studies. These skills are essential if the students are going to have productive careers and advance in their responsibilities.
Gary
From what I see, one of the most important things instructors can do is to push back against the "street culture" eroding reasonable standards of personal and professional behavior. Building professionals in any field is a process of coaching students into new skills and behsviors that raise them to a higher plane. This essential function of teaching is more important than ever in a popular culture that too often seems determined to establish casual rudeness, profanity, illiterate expression, self-aggrandizement, and a generally downward revisionist agenda as acceptable. Professionalism is antithetical to these. The instructor's role must be to model the life his/her students can achieve if they will only see and understand it as superior to the genereally popular version.
...we share our visions; we learn from the past ant the present and we explore in to the future...
What a great way to look at it, Jerryll - this would apply in any class! :)
I show the students examples of excellent student work and compare them to others, I show them the difference, so they can see it. I set the standards.
I motivate them to be better than the best, so they can succeed in the career field.
Instructors provide an overview supportive of gaining understanding and making informed decisions. These desicions become an intrigal part of life. We manage ideas through communication to the students.
Preparation for class, being on time and give clear expectations is key to a successful class.
I always try to get my students to use SPECIFIC examples in their writing, and I do this myself in demonstrations, announcements, and grading feedback. Also, I use good etiquette and am timely and responsible.
Starting class on time, remembering breaks and ending class on time as well. You also need to look the way you expect them to look by your attire.
Making myself part of the daily duty schedule that rotates and distributes lab cleanup chores to all involved in the class.
