Great suggestion. I have a student who I feel is very talented but has developed a bit of an attitude. I mentioned the possibility of a Special Project and he immediately perked up. I will assign it tomorrow.
Hi Solita,
This is so important. The stress that is relieved the very first day is great. The students know they have an instructor that is available to them and supportive of their learning efforts. This is a great way to start a class.
Gary
I tend to let my students know from the first day of class that I'm always available if they should have any questions or concerns about the course. Keeping the line of communication open is extremely important because the students sense that you actually care.
Hi Amy,
Feedback is often a forgotten part of being an instructor. Meaning instructors return projects, papers and exams whenever they get them done. They don't realize that students want and really need feedback as soon as possible so they can see where they are in the course.
Gary
Hi Ellen,
Right you are in your comments. Plus, it is so much more enjoyable as an instructor when you have developed a relationship with the students. They see you as a caring instructor that wants them to succeed. This helps to keep them engaged in the course and learning process.
Gary
Receiving feedback from students is important. We often have students fill out an evaluation form about the course and the instructor at the end of the semester. We want to know what worked well and what was not beneficial. What parts or activities had the most impact on the class and their learning. What did they find the most relevant. I use this feedback to try to improve and come up with new strategies for teaching.
Amy Davis
Teaching online at a career college, I am very aware of retention issues. It's easier to dump an instructor you haven't met face to face, unless they feel they know you and want to try. The way to do that is by paying attention to all the ideas in this module! It's so true that the personal touch makes all the difference in motivating students, helping them believe they can succeed, and keeping them in school so they have a chance to succeed.
Hi Kim,
This is a powerful point. Students need to see instructors as humans and that they have gone through the same training and similar life experiences as the students are now experiencing. This helps to create strong connection and the base for developing rapport.
Gary
I like bringing in the Human Factor into my classroom because students feel that the instructor is already dehumanized. By creating a sense of understanding that you are just as human and approachable, they will feel more apt to see you later in a time of need.
Hi Jay,
What have been some of the strategies that you have used to help your students to see that you value them and want to help them with their success?
Gary
Hi Nancy,
Well said concerning the need to be understanding of where the students are coming from. We are seeing so many mid-career individuals that are coming back to school and trying to reinvent themselves with a new career choice. These folks need real support during these trying times.
Gary
Hi Heather,
You have a great background upon which to draw in your current position. You know based upon your research what your students are in need of to stay in school and focused on their career development. The listening part you discuss is so critical for non-traditional students. They need to know you care about their success and as a result they feel that they can continue with their studies and be successful.
Gary
As instructors, we must establish a common base and good communication with students to have an effective retention strategy. By this I mean understand our student's own needs and show that we care about their success as we make the class material meaningful to them.
Instructors can become aware of effective retention strategies for use in their classes by getting feedback from the students. Asking students which assignments provided value can provide an instructor with a more clear understanding of the needs of the students in the class. Asking students which assignments/learning activities they enjoyed the most can offer the instructor information about learning styles of the students and which types of activities to continue. Asking students which learning activities had the most real world applications can also provide instructors with an understanding of the types of activities that will help students to be successful in their careers.
Getting to know students can help an instructor understand how to motivate them and how to understand their needs. I have found that many women in my classes have been recently divorced. Being aware that they are facing the challenges of living on their own or perhaps being a single parent can help me relate to them better.
Many students are also making unplanned career changes. They may be grieving the loss of a career that they enjoyed. They may also have become unable to work in their previous career and so may be dealing with having to change many aspects of their lives.
Whatever the student's situation, it is good to remember what the students tells the instructor about him/herself and to recognize the impact that his/her life situation may have on his/her ability to cope with the class on a daily basis.
I did my master's thesis on retention at the community college level in non-traditional adult learners, so this whole module really hit home with me and the research I did. I think the key word here is "aware". All students are different, each course is different, and each lecture can even require different approaches to continually encourage and engage students. They have to feel like they are part of the classroom and take a personal interest in it, to the point that they value their education.
I always tried to have a relationship with my students. Not necessarily a personal level. My door was always open, but I didn't have a couch in my office for a reason because I'm not the shrink. :-) But I did listen to their concerns, and took into consideration their life issues, which over and over again I have been told was a big part in why they valued their education: they felt like someone cared and understood.
I also showed/show passion for my career path and the material. If I acted bored, they were bored. If I acted excited, the excitement was contagious even when the material was foreign and difficult to learn. I put humor into my PowerPoints with medical cartoons and took time outs to play games (for bonus points of course) which really got them engaged. It's all about connecting the student to the course and the material.
Hi Laura,
Well said concerning keeping your finger on the pulse of the class. By knowing what the students are thinking in relation to the assignments and activities will help you make the changes that are needed to keep the class moving forward.
Gary
Keeping current on new teaching stratigies, along with industry trends and bringing to two together. Also, speaking with the class to find out exactly what is working and what is not. Being open to change and creating cushion room will allow an open environment that students will be more comfortable in that will lead to retention.
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for sharing these great retention strategies. Your example of meeting a student in the hall and being able to call them by name is a powerful retention tool. Instructors often don't know how powerful this really is. A simple act but one with much motivation behind it.
The online strategies are very important because as you noted it is easy for them to feel left out since they don't meet physically.
Gary
Whether in a live or online class, I find it very important to make contact with each student individually. In a live class, I greet each student as they come to class, have them write down their name on a seating chart, and this gives them an opportunity to tell me if they have a preference on how to address them by their first name or nickname. I feel like I get to know them and they get to know me right from the start. I also send around a numbered attendance sheet that helps not only with attendance, but with learning their names too.
After I introduce myself, I then explain to the students why I have them write down their names on my chart. I let them know that I am trying to learn their names the first class. I also find that this helps if I meet them in the hallway after class or the next day.
While doing the housekeeping tasks at the beginning of class, I study the faces of each student and make a correlation with their name.
It has been my experience that if I do meet a student in the hall that I just had in class and call them by their name, I can sometimes see their face light up. I have had many students tell me that they liked the way that I know who they are. So, I know this works.
In an online class, I do an ice breaker plus I send out a welcome email and welcome message in a discussion forum. I also send out a weekly welcome message. I have had may students give me feedback on how they like the welcome weekly message and how I engage them and myself in the discussion forum each week.
I find that these are a few of my retention strategies that really do help.
