Hi Ezra, Thanks for your post - a very important observation! If, as instructors we want to be perceived as professionals, we must also look the part. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I find that some of us do not pay enough attention to an often overlooked aspect of the physical environment. I'm speaking about the instructor's own personal appearance. You don't have to be Hollywood gorgeous or Fifth avenue fashionable. No one will learn from a slob or slobette. If you care how you appear then students will pick up on this important cue as to how they should relate both to you and the subject that you're teaching. If you want to establish a professional setting be professional. This simple act will pay great didvidends down the line.
Hi Charolette, Thanks for your post to the forum. It can be challenging to create a warm environment in an online classroom. Also as you know, as online instructors there is an implied expectation that we are available 24/7. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
As an online instructor, I create a positive learning environment by communicating with my students in a respectful manner as well as addressing each student with a warm and friendly welcome message. I have also actively engaged students with a personal touch by offering positive feedback instead of negative feedback.
Respectfully,
Charolette Brown, MBA, CPC
It can have a great impact on your students, from concentration, having time to process their thoughts, to bringing a positive or negative aura in the classroom.
Hi Alan, Thanks for your post to the forum. Excellent that you are creatinga more comfortable and engaging environment for your students! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
i have found that the classrooms we use at school are often boring and hostile places for many of my stidents. Often, they express these places are where they had little success or places that they felt inhibited their ability to learn. I often move the tables and chairs around so students face each other but leave me an area from which I can lecture from ( usually a semicircle). This gives them a feeling of comeraderie and a sense of togetherness. I also finds it encourages open discussion and class participation when they are looking at each other.
Hi Alisa, Thanks for your post to the forum. Certainly students want to have an active learning experience but even though they may not consciously be affected, the environment of the classroom does play a role in their learning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Having a Clean, Organized, and ready enviroment for learning helps students. It pushes them to do that with themselves before class.
I find that there are only a few who care about the condition of the learning environment, while the whole respond better to positive feedback for their participation or questions. More students seem to want to answer questions and add valuable thoughts and opinions to discussions if the response is more positive.
I also teach culinary arts. Organization and cleanliness is an absolute must in this industry. It shows professionalism and pride. Also, a clean and uncluttered work space is a clean and uncluttered mind.
Hi Fred - Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, the classroom environment is really important. As you state, a clean and inviting space sends a positive message and creates a professional arena in which to learn. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
The physical appearance of the learning environment plays a very important role. It it is clean, it will bring about a cheery attitude, and environment conducive to learning. If it is unkempt it was cause the students to focus on the negativity which will be a detractor to the learning environment.
Hi Cynthia, Thanks for your post to the forum. It can be difficult to teach something that students are not at all interested in, but you are doing a great job! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I'm a culinary arts instructor,our students go through several different kitchens in the school that I teach at. I'm currently teaching them how to bake in a new enviorment. I'm aware that some of my students don't want to learn about baking so finding a balance on making it a leaning enviorment and fun class is a balancing act.
I give them enough information about the method we're working on for the day and offer them resources to look further into the topic after class time.I think they also have a good time because there's a good balance of lecture, technique and hands on demonstration being done.
i guess it impacts them by if they see a mess in a physical classroom they can perceive they will receive a mess...image sorta speak
Hi Tamara, Thanks for your post to the forum. We moved to a new campus 10 years ago and set the same rule. We still get complaints, primarily from the students who run in from work and have not had anything to eat all day. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Tamara, Thanks for your post to the forum. I like that idea as well. I have seen motivational items on slides at meeting and trainings but agree that they would be useful for students as well. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
We recently relocated to a new campus with brand new surroundings and we've added some health programs. Our new school policy prohibits any food or beverage in any rooms except water. I suspect this serves a dual purpose-both tokeep the building cleaner and to give deference to health students'inability to bring food into labs.
This change for our students has culminated in an interesting social psychology situation. Many of my students are really "pushing back" on the policy and most are adults in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties. It is amazing to me how much this is still distracting them, in spite of the rule being a few months old.
Strangelly, I don't think other physical environment issues have arisen for the students other than the occasional gitches that can occur with the campus network for their online access.
I am watching the situation and trying to remain upbeat about alternative solutions to keep our room positive.
Tamara Schmitz
Hi Lisa,
I really appreciate your idea as I teach in a similar situation--no opportunity to personalize the room. I have noticed the Power Point slides for a couple of new courses I'm teacing include slides with motivational images or sayings. I'd wondered why they had included these without providing written context. Perhaps it's to accomplish the "personalization" of our classrooms using media as you've described. I'm going to give it a shot, too.
Tamara Schmitz
