Getting to Know Your Students
A 2 - 3 minute "Introduce Yourself" will enable each student to give a brief picture on them self and allow fellow students to pick out things that they may have in common which in turn will form a bond through out the class time. I feel this is very important.
Bernard,
Also this time lets you develop rapport with them in a way that will show them you care about their success in your course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I could not agree more. Time spent before and after class with students is essential to developing a learning environment for students.
I completely agree. I try to take mental notes on the comments that students say in the introduction and reference them later in the course. Often the students respond very positively when they know that I was paying attention to what they had to say.
Liza,
So true and so important in getting a new course off to a good start. The introductions get the students settled into the class and ready for the upcoming sessions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree...Getting your students to feel at ease inthe classroom is very important. Trying to establish common interests leads to
a comfort zone that will aid in student interaction. I like to try and find common interests outside the course subject as well.
Introductions are key to getting to know your students. Introducing yourself to students on the first day is essential. Getting to know adult students is important in building a rapport with them. I think that it shows that you are genuinely interested in them and their lives outside of school.
I agree getting to know the students is very important. It also helps students meet and get to know their classmates. I also always like to break the ice in a class by introducing my students to my experience and background the first day of class. It helps the students understand I am a working professional in the industry.
Lisa,
These are fun methods to use in getting a course started. They help the students to get to know each other as well as get settled into the course while learning more about you their learning leader.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree games are a very effective tool in creating relationships and to encourage networking. I also utilize the "introduce yourself" game. It has worked successfully and I continue to use this method at the beginning of every new class.
Katharine,
This is very good advice for instructors to consider. As you mention you can customize your instruction more as a result of having more information about the current students. I really like the idea of using examples that are targeted to this group and their backgrounds. This is going to increase their engagement in the learning process I am sure.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I also think it is useful from the other perspective. If you know your students then you are aware of their backgrounds and knowledge base as well as the other issues that they might be struggling with. This can help you to formulate the examples that you use in class so that they make sense to this particular group of students and will also help you to problem solve with them one-on-one about the things that might impede their learning.
Alden,
I really enjoy these informal interactions because they help me to get to know my students better while forming the foundation for the development of rapport.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Time spent before and after class is very valuable in getting to know your students. I find they respect you more in the classroom.
DANIEL,
I feel it is important as well. Introductions like this not only help students to get to know each other but they help them get settled into the class and develop a feel for how they are going to fit into the learning environment.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
