yes because it is easier to get and keep students motivated when they see value in the material and feel comfortable with the instructors approach to the material
Hi David,
With your many years of experience I know you have a story to fit every occasion as you teach a lesson. I know these stories help to show the students how relevant the content is to their career success.
Gary
There is a definite connection between the two. The human factor is being able to relate to their situation; connecting with them on a personal level with availability and instructional level. Remembering when this “did not make sense” and relating in a simple back to basics format. Being able to give real life stories and examples of applications, struggle and how situations were resolved. 40 years in industry gives one a definite perspective on what the expectations are in the field.
I whole heartly think the human factor is a very important part of instructor competency. each student is a different customer and requires different needs.
Hi Chuck,
Well said. Your approach should give your students a clear picture of how you are going to operate the course and the kind of support you are going to provide them while in class. This is an important connection to make you develop rapport with your students.
Gary
Hi Rick,
You are right in your approach of listing the polices in the course and making it clear to the students they will be enforced. The human factor of teaching comes in the development of rapport with the students and should not be perceived as being a way for students to manipulate the instructor.
Gary
Hi Salvatore,
That is what rapport is all about. The connection between the instructor and the students helps both parties to get settled into the course and to work toward the common goal of learning excellence.
Gary
Yes, there is a definite need for the Human factor with our students. As families become more splintered most of the students don't get many positive strokes from home or society. The instructors that can balance the course material with life experience give something positive to help the students prepare for life and a career. This instills confidence and a "can do attitude" that will stick with them thoughout life.
Yes there is a definite connection. Without some human factor the instructor becomes a robot in his/her competancy. The instructor must consider the students as customers as well as students.
Is he a robot or a human? This is a question I have asked myself about some instructors I had. With that knowledge I vowed to not be "robotic" with my class/lab presentations. When you give cosideration , respect and courtesy to a student you most often are rewarded with that in return and an atentive student. Personal exchanges as a student enters the class roomshow the student reconition of who they are and that you know who they are. This sets up the day for the intereactions needed to engauge the student in the daily lesson. This leads to student success and instructor success. So yes they are directly related.
I find the Human Side problematic in that a student may be asking to bend or lighten-up on the rules. I remember the times I felt duped or when other instructors have said that a certain student, "tries that scam every quarter."
The best remedy I have found is listing policies for lateness make-up in the syllabus addendum and adhering to the policies.
The customer focus side is delivering course content, always welcoming questions, complaints, being approachable/available by my understanding.
The human factor side is listening impartially and uncritically and suggesting alternative remedies or solutions to absences, lateness, omissions.
I have always had a problem with offering alternatives because I am somewhat rigid in treating all students the same/equally.
Creating an interpersonal relationship is important to being able to connect with your students and have them take you seriously. They need to get to know you and respect your knowledge and ability or the won’t have a reason to listen to you or take you seriously like wise you need to get to know enough about them to understand what there educational needs are, and be able to let them know that you care about there success.
The human factor side is how the instructor relates to the students.How he listens to their issues and helps them overcome obstacles to get the assignments done.
The customer focus side of an insructor is doing some of these same tasks but not lowering goals or expectations of what is expected to be completed to pass the course. To do so of course would only really cheat the student since they would not have learned the compentencies needed to succeed in the field.
I think that is very well put. There definatly needs to be a mixture of the two for the best service.
I agree with you. The Human Factor is so important. Letting them know that you are willing to work around any life interuptions to help them get thru the course, makes a huge difference. We had a problem with the weather in early December and I met with each student individually regarding their absence, and helped them get caught up.
The human factor has to be applied to each situation we become involved in because each of our students have different personalities and needs.
Yes I do see the connection,Bieng an instructor I need to have a skill at what I am teaching and have pesonal skills to transport the knowledge to the students who are our cutomer to get everything they can out of there learning experience.
Hi Steven,
Great to hear about your development as an instructor. You are seeing the global picture of what it takes to be an instructor and focusing on the human side as well as the content side. Keep it up and you will continue to see the comments that your students enjoyed your class and had fun while taking it.
Gary
Hi Rick,
Right you are about students that want to take the course content to the next level. They really do challenge you as an instructor. I like groups like this because it gives me a chance to coordinate and focus their learning rather than just giving them content. At the end of the course I have grown much in my own skill development as a result of preparing for their course.
Gary
