Getting to Know Your Students
I think it is important to get to know your students. That is one thing I like about teaching in a small school; it allows me to see students in many classes throughout their education with MSB. When I get to know them and their learning styles, I can better create a learning environment that will help all my students reach their educational goals.
Earl,
You make a good point about the need for listening. By listening you can get a read on your students and be able to provide support at critical times.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The process of getting to know your students, is on going. Listen to them as they inter act with each other.
Hi Shannon,
What a great way to develop rapport with your students. After two years you really do know them and where they are going with their careers. Not many of us get to work with our students for that long of time.
Gary
I absolutely agree. I usually spend about 2 years with my students. It is imparitive that I get to know them. This would usually include home life (children, work experience,marrage, etc). It allows me to be able to break down barriors, speaking & teaching them as individuals-not #ed students, providing me with a paycheck.
It can definitely be motivating and encouraging to students when they feel you put in the time and effort to not only know their name, but alsoshow you are interested in knowing more than just their name.
I believe that getting to know your students is a useful tool in meeting your students' needs. For the better we know our students on an individual basis, the better we (the instructors)can figure out what we need to strive towards so the students can better focus on learning, and not outside influences.
My student ratio can fluctuate from 10 to 40 for the same class. The struggle i have is trying to teach the same material. When the class is less than 14 the struggle becomes showing the students a clear view of an entire kitchen staff. We usually have to compromise. When the classes are over 20 the lab become crowded and slows down the material covered. My school is a private for profit school with no government money to support it. I understand the need for numbers. However, quality class room learning needs to a concern also.
As a communication instructor, I have struggled with classes that are too small. Several years ago I taught a Public Speaking class on a Sunday afternoon for 4 hours a class session with 4 students. One of the teaching strategies I use regularly is to create opportunities for classroom discussion, which became very challenging with such a small class.
For the classes I teach, my ideal number would be 15-20. I still get to know my students as individual learners, but it also gives the class an opportunity to have rich class discussions with a variety of viewpoints.
Michele
I agree. Working with smaller classes aids in better understanding student needs and concerns.
It's nice to have small classes. You can learn much from them when you have discussions and ask questions. At another school I work at some of the classes are over 30 people so it's terribly hard to remember their names and get to know everybody.
Hi Debra,
You are fortunate that you teach in a small school. I am sure you are able to develop relationships with your students that continue throughout their education in your program.
Gary
I agree that it is very important to get to know your students. I know from speaking with other instructors that they find it harder to get to know each student because their classes are so large. I am a massage therapy instructor and my class sizes are 10 students or less and I usually have them in a majority of my hands on classes. We basically turn into a small family. With that said, I always have to watch myself so I don't take them under my wing too far. I want to help them grow and be their individual selves and succeed. I feel the smaller class sizes give me the opportunity to get to know the students and their individual learning needs. It also makes the students more comfortable with asking questions and what-not because they're so comfortable with each other and with myself.
