Susan,
Respect and rapport are two very powerful components of successful teaching and student learning. It is great when we earn the respect of our students while showing them we respect them for who they are and what life experiences their bring to class. From there rapport starts and a great student instructor relationship can result in student growth and success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I can get the personal touch by building a rapport with my student. Getting a feel on how they are experiencing the learning process and alerting me to where I need to focus my atention for retention. Basically I'm getting into the students head and seeing how the are percieving the educational process and deveoping a plan to further it.
Building rapport with students helps retention, and also creates a better learning environment. The students will be more interested and want to do well.
Lawrence,
This is the role of a learning leader and your method helps your students to get settled into the course and comfortable with their success in the class. I am sure your students appreciate your investment in their future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Aileen,
So true and such an important part of teaching. By earning the respect of students you are establishing the foundation for rapport and professional growth. This is one of the rewards of teaching.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
After all we are teaching adults whether young or old. We need to be respected and recognized. I like it when our class is more like a family environment than a classroom with the understanding I am the leader of the family. Being able to feel comfortable in the classroom setting is important and helps with rapport between students and faculity.
I think this is very important to remember. These are adult learners and they should have our respect jsut as we want to have theirs. Once this is established, the lines of communication and learning are wide open.
Vaughn,
I agree about the value and importance of establishing rapport with students. The rewards for both students and instructor are great because rapport gives a foundation from which professional growth and interaction can be done as a part of the career development process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Rapport with students should be a must. I know that with my college students I put an emphasis on this. I try to learn their names, jobs, kids as well as what they want to do when they graduate. I provide them with real world experience that correlates with the material.
This type of rapport with the students helps in several ways. The two reasons I like best is it allows the students to 'believe in' my real life stories and not think that I fabricated them. It also helps to add credibility to the learning environment. Actually its not hard to do and the benefits are tremendous for all involved.
Belinda,
Respect and rapport are two elements of student engagement and success. Setting the stage for both to develop throughout the course encourages the students and illustrates to them the value you seem them as being in your class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Building rapport with your students is a very important part of teaching. I feel it is important because they will come in with an open mind every day and ready to learn, not only, will they be ready to learn but they will also feel as though the teacher really cares about them as a student. Students need to feel cared for, as any person does, but they need the reassurance being students.
Dodi,
These introduction sessions are so valuable in helping you to get a read on your students while they get to know you. In addition they help to get everyone settled into the course and feeling comfortable with how the course is going to be conducted.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
At the beginning of each term I do an introduction session with the students. I have everyone say their name and tell the class something about them and then I do the same. We learn a lot about each other by doing this and have a little fun too.
I think the students will be more excited and motivated to learn if they have a good rapport with the instructor.
Being fairly new to teaching I relied on my basic instincts as it were and found that in my profession (dental hygiene) I have much more patient response and in turn their confidence in me is higher when I have established a rapport/mutual respect with them. I used this same approach with the students and have found the more rapport I have with them, the more open the conversations about the subject matter can be ... with the rapport (and along with it mutual respect) there is a greater sense of enthusiasm, confidence and learning going on.
Robert,
I agree and this is why I think we need to make this a priority in the first few class meetings.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
i think that learning their names are one of the most important ways to get a rapport with your students, and what that does is lets them know that you care about them.
Alan,
Your last sentence puts it in perspective. You are the learning leader and as a result need to provide leadership while bringing your human side into the mix. Knowing they can talk with you and you will listen is a valuable resource for them to know they have available.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Everyone likes to encounter people that are approachable. As an instructor, you need to be approachable. If students feel that they are unable to speak with their instructor, their participation and learning experience will be less than stellar, leaving then feeling unimportant. Each person/student is important. Everyone has something to say. It is all relevant to the learning experience. Be open and honest as an instructor. As a person. Yes, you are an authority figure but you are also a person. Act like one.
Robert,
Good example of how rapport can and is used in many different settings throughout one's career. This is what students need to see and experience so they will know how to work at earning the respect of those that they work with and provide services to.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
