Being accepted in classes is important because it helps to build self esteem and confidence. If you don't feel accepted, students may withdraw and feel as though their participation is not worthy. I share with my students that 90%of every thing we do starts in the mind ...our approach! So, I ask them to think of the positive instead of the negative: I am accepted versus I am not accepted. You have to speak it, believe it, & then receive it.
So they have more confidence and feel accepted! Feeling accepted gives us confidence. If you feel confidence you you are going to feel accepted!
yes it does. It makes you feel a sense of belonging. This gives you the necessary courage to participate and totally engaged with the class and classmates, the best way to succeed in the class.
It is important for students to feel and accepted and to feel as though they MATTER because there is no incentive for them to come to class the next day or the next week if they don't feel as though they matter to me. If they feel as though I truly care about them, they will want to return, they will want to please me, and they will succeed.
I break up all small cliques in the classroom in the first days . this helps open up new friendships within the class
Students who are accepted by thier peers and thier instructors perform better in class and also have a better change of completing thier program. Those who are unable to feeling that they are accepted tend the lag behind and in most cases could drop out of the program.
I do something very similar on the first day of my classes. I go around the room and let them introduce themselves and tell me what they expect/want to learn from the class and what are they most nervous about in the class.(I teach many hands on labs) After everyone has given input we talk about which goals will be meet. This has really helped my students feel comfortable and lets them know that I care about what they want to learn.
by sharing past experiences with the students
Hi Carlos,
How do you bring that feeling about for the students in your class? Any strategies you can share with us will be appreciated.
Gary
it is important because they will engage better in class and learn more
Hi Nancy,
It is the human factor that makes all of the difference. Your comments are right on target about how much influence you have on their success through support. Keep up the good work and keep impacting their lives.
Gary
One thing that I have found that is important for students to feel accepted and successful is to praise them on a job well done. When students fill out class surveys they have an opportunity to "grade" the teacher on their ability to encourage and support the students in their class and the students take this seriously and will point out when an instructors does not encourage them. I have noticed that the more I encourage my students, the better students they become!
Hi Tom,
Tough question with no clear cut answer. When I have students like this I work with them individually and see if I can establish rapport with them while earning their respect. If I can do that then I can generally get them engaged in the class and have success with them.
Gary
How do we deal with accepting the student who doesn't want to be there? i.e. they are just there instead of jail?
In both on-ground and online classes, I think students benefit from having friends in the class. I tell everyone to find a class friend-- someone to sit next to, meet before class for dinner or lunch, exchange email with, etc. I do it because I remember being a student and not wanting to attend class but knowing that my buddy would be there waiting, and that we would have lunch afterward or dinner before. For online classes, it's a little more difficult, but agreeing to go to the synchronous chat together is a good way to start.
All humans need to feel accepted, for its part of our human nature. When students feel accepted within the class by the instructor and by thier peers they are more comfortable in the class and more at ease doing thier course work.
As students get to know each other they can find they they have things in common other than going for the same degree program. Students need to know that thier differences make them important to the class inself such as thier life experiences, family situations, or work experiences; even cultural differences can enhance a students acceptence in class if handled right by the instructor.
Many of my students have come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Throughout most of their lives the expectations have been low. As a matter of fact, those with higher expectaions do not always fit into their societies. When they are around others that want to succeed they begin to grow and live up to their full potential. I always make sure everyone is heard and that race, age, economic, education, or any other distraction isn't an issue. Everyone is on an equal playing field.
I think the students need to feel like they belong in that particular classroom. They may not always feel accepted by their classmates on a social level but need to feel they belong in the classroom and that is my responsibility as the instructor.
Students need to feel accepted in classes to provide the motivation they need to contribute to the group. We all like the feeling of belongingness, and in many cases, this feeling is what encourages us to do our best. When we feel like we are apart of something, most peopl try to put their best foot forward. This is the same for sudents in a class. Being accepted encourages students to activiely participate in class discussion, class activities, and overall increases their success in the class.
Hi Joan,
You make a key point with your last sentence. The operating word is RESPECT. Once you have earned the respect of your students and shown them in respect in return you have a wonderful foundation from which to conduct the course.
Gary
