Hi Alison,
You have a great approach. Career success to a major extent is based upon the "soft skills" you are trying to develop in your students. If they don't have these skills no matter how skilled they are they are not going to enjoy the highest level of career success. I commend you for your effort and encourage to keep up the good work.
Gary
I am in the General Education Department of my school, therefore we solidify the foundations that our students need. Specifically, I teach basic English. I model the use of grammar and writing clarity by doing just that. When I make a mistake, I turn it into a lesson. I will point out my typo or spelling error (and so on) and I ask the students to identify the error. My goal is to not teach them to be perfect, but rather to teach them how to recognize and fix his or her errors.
I am a veterinarian that teaches anesthesia and surgical assisting. These are courses that our students typically take just prior to their externships. On the first day of class, I tell them that they should speak and behave in class and lab as they would for their employer. I tell them to consider me as their "first employer". In turn, I provide them with instant feedback as well as weekly written assessments on their language, demeanor, appearance, team skills, identifying their accomplishments as well as those areas that they need to work on. I am hoping to develop and fine-tune the soft skills they need to interact with their future employers and team members, as well as the technical skills they need to perform the required tasks in veterinary practice.
The most important way to be a role model as and instructor is to show up on time. Always be available to the students on a consistent basis and don’t become the student’s friend and let them see your imperfections. Were not perfect but students don’t need to see off hours behavior during the class time/on campus. The students should always have respect for their instructors by teaching it to the students.
I always keep a Professional frame of mind whenever I am in the classroom/laboratory and all my actions are dictated by this.
I am also aware that many of my students will model their behavior in their future workplace based on how I conduct myself. I try to keep focused, finish all tasks in a timely and efficient manner, and treat every body with dignity and respect.
I feel that we should lead by example we should not ask any tasks of our student that we are not willing to preform ourselve
Hi Amanda,
You are so right. I just wish it was easier to convince the students of the value of good communication, both oral and written. By having command of such skills they will see their careers advance because they have both technical as well as expressive skills. They become valuable in the workplace by having such skills.
Gary
Hi Elizabeth,
Good point. We are models in everything we do so we need to be aware of how we are portraying ourselves as we may be the only ones our students have seen that come from the field that they are training in.
Gary
Hello Dr. Meers and all,
I teach communication classes online and we often have discussions about the various careers my students are going into. The overall message in my class is that no matter what field you will be entering, good communication skills will always be needed. To set a good example, it is very important for me to use proper written and oral communication at all times.
I feel it is also important for me to respond to them and grade their assignments in a timely matter as I expect them to complete and turn their assignments in on time. I feel remaining strong about the attendance/late policy will benefit them in their future as they start their careers. I never ask students for something that I'm not willing to do myself.
Amanda Neuman
The one thing we need to be aware is that we are the role models. If the college is enforcing tardiness, absence, professional dress code, etc.. The instructor should be on time and prepare to lecture, and know there subject matter.
Hi Jill,
Great job of showing the students application of their expressive skills, both written and oral. Success in the work place depends on communication and by showing them how communication can be a career booster or wrecker they should be challenged and motivated to develop those needed skills.
Gary
Hi Louis,
I agree 100%. By being on time you have already set the tone for the class by showing the students you are there and ready to go. That way you can expect the same from them in terms of attendance and being punctual.
Gary
Hi Emilio,
Good points all. The leading by example and modeling are very important for those student that have not had positive role models in their lives.
Gary
Start class on time, dress professionally, address students with respect, maintain composure in the face of adversity (content or student), be prepared and organized, be an expert in my field, have enthusiasm for my content area, and connect the content of my class to what they will actually use it for in their daily work lives. I teach composition, and many students think they do not need writing skills in the careers they have chosen. I work hard to show them that organizing and presenting information in a coherent and cohesive and structured way will make their audience more likely to understand their purpose and their message. I make every assignment pertain to their careers.
One of the most important beliefs I have is to be there on time. To me nothing sets the tone better than being on time and ready to start the class. It shows students that in today's world tou need to be on time ready to work
YES, WHAT WE DO IN FRONT OF THE CLASS MEANS A LOT. WE ARE THE LEADERS. WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND KNOW WHAT OUR STUDENTS NEED.
-Leading by example is always a must, making sure you always keep your professional composure.
-Letting students know that you are willing to help them achieve their goals.
-Having a great attitude towards tackling obstacles that lay in the way, and being able to explain how you were able to overcome the obstacle.
Hi Mark,
Thank you for the reminder about the use of field specific language before a solid foundation has been built. Like the acquisition of new knowledge, new terms have to be understood and internalized by the learner. By taking the time to build the vocabulary the application will come when the students are out in the field.
Gary
I would like to add one cautionary exception to the use of "trade speech" in the classroom. Some professions such as Information Technology (IT) have a rather high number of acronyms (such as "MCITP" or "DBA"). These acronyms should not be used in the classroom before they are defined.
"Definition before use" is my credo when teaching is the goal and I hope that it is yours as well. When we use technical terms, or jargon, indiscriminately in the classroom we run the risk of unintentionally shutting some of the students out of the discussion and the learning experience.
Certainly, once a term is defined, we may for both convenience and learning reinforcement, use that term in the classroom. Also, we may unintentionally use terms that are foreign to our students. In either case, it is important to ensure that students are free to ask questions, so that these definitions can be either restated or provided within the discussion.
I am sure you all agree that although the use of technical terms in the classroom is important, its importance does not exceed the importance of our students' ability to understand what we are saying.
First and foremost on my mind is to do exceptional work for my class. This is not something that I can easily do in a vacuum; it requires that review my work as objectively as I can or that I submit samples of my work to my peers for review and comment. When developing a new assignment, exam, or lesson plan, I often ask my colleagues to look it over before I present it to the students in the classroom setting.
Colleagues may catch the misuse of a term, confusing sentence construction, inappropriate difficulty level, or other errors. By this method, I not only improve my work for the students but for myself.
Students should see our best work and also be encouraged to provide constructive comments about how we teach our classes. Additionally, we should incorporate student self-review and peer-review in the classroom as this kind of reflection will have a profound effect upon learning.
