Talking to students on a daily bases. Understanding their needs,background and experiences. Form a rapport with them. You can set high standards for the student but must help all of them to reach that standard and goals.
Have fun in class.
Hi Adam,
Exactly. By observing and talking with other instructors you can expand your knowledge base of effective instructional strategies. The bigger our network of professionals from learn from the wider are skill sets will be.
Gary
I feel that with peer observations, many of us can find specific retention approaches that work specifically for our student populations.
While not all instrutors can, nor should, imitate their peers, there are definitely valuable exercises or activities that can be shared.
In addition, observing success with your peers can offer a fresh take and serve as an idea-generator.
Hi Cheryl,
Great way to start a class. You are showing them that you not only care but will do anything you can to support their efforts. By getting to know more about the students you know how to customize your instruction more accurately.
Gary
At the beginning of the educational process it is valuable to not only get to know the student's name and address them each class, but to gather other pertinent information which could be useful. I have had opportunity to ask the student not only to write their name and a goal education will allow them to obtain on paper, but I also ask them to comment on what they are potentially fearing about the educational process. I will interject small points in regard to these issues each time class meets without direct reference to a particular student, but instead to stimulate discussion and dispel fear.
Hello, I am learning that by giving the students the choice on how they my like the material to be instructed to them, helps keep them involved. The questions at the beginning and end of the lesson allow me to evaluate what I need to change.
by being aware of the students all the time you can be ahead of the game. If a student has a bad day and fails a quiz and you don't try to help you could be setting up a retention concern.
Hi Nancy,
You are going to get great feedback from this exercise plus the benefit of seeing as you mention how the students express themselves through writing.
Gary
Hi Nancy,
You are right on with your response about retention strategies. The more we know the more effective we can be. All the items you mention are ways of getting better at what we do. Good instructors retain students. A simple statement but one that is true. Students that can relate to an instructor do not drop out as often. They want the approval of that instructor because they respect him/her and the help they are giving to enable that student to achieve the career goal they have set for themselves. This is powerful.
Gary
Hi Rachel,
Rapport is critical for student and teaching success. The points of contact you mention are all excellent ways of developing rapport. By having a connection with students it is much easier to talk with them when you have concerns about their progress or if they are having problems outside of the classroom that is effecting their success in the classroom.
Gary
Hi Shelly,
You are doing the right thing by soliciting student feedback throughout the course. This will enable you to make any course changes that are needed to keep the students engaged and reduce the drop out rate. If the students feel they have an investment in their learning they can see the return on their investment of both time and money. ROI is key for adult career students.
Combine this form of feedback with the end of course surveys and you have a formula for ongoing course improvement. Keep up the good work.
Gary
understading students issues and personal problems will help instructors to deal with retention on case by case situation. Instructors can be a good listeners to deal with students issues and show they care.
Excellent suggestion! I never thought of the 3 x 5 cards. An added bonus is the practice in writing skills this approach provides by requiring students who have a suggestion to first think of what they want to write, and then actually compose the card.
Instructors can turn to their peers for new and innovative retention strategies to use in class. Once a suggestion is made, find a way to put your own personal "twist" on it and make it your own. Nothing is more of a turn-off to students than having "cookie-cutter" strategies used in all of their classes at the institution. Faculty meetings, department meetings, and/or lunches, etc. are all excellent times to schedule a round-table discussion of strategies that have worked for other instructors.
In addition to peers, membership in associations specific to your teaching institution or academic subject are also invaluable sources for instructor support.
I hope I have not misinterpreted the question. I understand it to be asking how to find different retention strategies that will work for your class, once you have recognized the fact that new/additional strategies need to be added to your instructor "bag of tricks." Since every day is a new day, with new potential problems (both retention and otherwise), an instruction can never have too many strategies at their disposal.
Speaking with students every day as they come into the room and then taking a few moments to share a story or ask a lighthearted question of my group usually sets a positive tone for the class. Calling and asking if there's anything I can do or offering my help in an email if a student has missed class usually aids in creating a positive rapport. On day one, asking students to create a name card with information about themselves helps me to find talking points and points of interest with students.
You can let the student know their progress or lack there of at the end of each class. Then give them time to ask question.
Hi Dominic!
This sounds so simple, but so many instructors forget the personal aspect that so many students are looking for.
Shelly Baker
Hi Gordon!
This is an interesting approach. I am taking it these students are serving as the speaker for the other students. I like this idea. Have you had a lot of success with this approach? Do the other students feel comfortable in talkint to the "elected" class reps?
Thanks!
Shelly Baker
I like to talk to my students throughout the course and determine what is working for them and what is not working for them. By doing this, I might be able to change some of the course instruction and increase the retention rate.
I also think that the end-of-the-course surveys are a great way to capture how the students felt about the course and the instructor.
Shelly Baker
Hi John,
That you for that excellent expression of the "true heart" of a teacher. This is why we teach so we can share our hearts with our students and give them an opportunity to develop a future for themselves and their families.
Gary
