Hi Theresa,
I like the point about passion for their field. If we have it we can share that passion with them and make it more than just a course that gives them content.
Gary
Students here are just learning. They need to learn to have passion for thier chosen career field and they can only get that through examples. Instructors at our college are first professionals in thier field before they become teachers.
If an instructor is burnt out then the student will not be able to see any positives regarding the field in question. This can lead to students dropping out of the program or even school.
If an instructor has passion for the field, then they can pass that passion on to the student (even if that student has interest in another field).
For example, medical students have to take an accounting course to graduate. I have seen the difference of instuctors who teach these students this course. An instructor who is all business and accounting can fail to gain the attention of medical minded students. My daughther teaches accounting and she cares about the course and the students, regardless of thier degree fields. Her passion for the course has gotten some medical students wanting to double major in both medical and accounting. Thus the instructor enthusiasm has everything to do with student retention.
Hi Susan,
Study love hearing stories from their instructors. The stories help to reinforce the human side of being an educator. This starts the development of respect and rapport for both you and the students.
Gary
If you are not enthusiastic about the subject, how can you expect your students to be. I tell stories from my career, the funny and the ones you wish you could forget. I feel that my experiences are valuable to the students in that they could experience the same things. Again make it relevant to the students.
Hi Peter,
Love your enthusiasm. Teaching is about the best job in the world for the reasons you highlighted. We get to prepare the next generation entering our field while impacting their lives. You are right why wouldn't you be enthused.
Gary
I find that if I am not excited about what I do, how can I expect students be excited. I try to regal stories from the OR and or my own personal experiences from the OR, this gives students a window on what happens from day to day in OR settings and some of the crazy things I have seen or experienced. This makes students want to hurry up graduate so they can have their own experiences. I also make sure that when my students who are engaged in the clinical position of the program get back to class that they tell the class what they did that day, it shows genuine interest and makes them feel as though what they did that day was a positive and memorable experience that most of the public never gets to experience. Enthused, how can I not be enthused......look at what I teach...it is too cool....
When the student can tell the passion in the instructor’s eyes and ways of teaching the class, it is contagious. The students can’t help it but to get engaged.
Hi Audrey,
Good question. I have never taught the male/female reproductive system as course content. I have taught subjects that were perceived as being boring so I ramped them up their activities, games, and problem solving groups. You might consider using some of these things to segment your instruction and generate some student excitement.
Gary
Instructor enthusiasm is one area that I really struggle with. I find it hard to show enthusiasm for the male/female reproductive system! I find all systems fo the body extremely interesting but unless you have a passion for anatomy and physiology, how do you express enthusiasm?
When I get excited about a subject my students just light up and they want to share in my excitement
Hi Lindsay,
Your upbeat attitude shines through your forum comments. It sounds like you are having fun helping to prepare the next generation of workers in your field. What a great opportunity this is.
Gary
Enthusiasm has EVERYTHING to do with retention. Everyday I implement a fun and positive attitude and try to have a fun or exciting story to share with my class. I love the subjects I teach and I believe it shows with my class retention. My students know that I care about them and in return they care about the class.
Hi Linda,
Yes it is. It is critical for setting the stage for a successful and progressive course for everyone.
Gary
Instructor Enthusiasm is very important in the classroom. It gets the students relaxed and more involved.
Hi Craig,
Good for you. Having passion about your field and the desire to impact lives can go a long way in helping a person overcome shyness. You are a great example of this.
Gary
I don't like public speeking, and I am very shy. I have learned to overcome this by teaching.
This can be a very difficult concept to keep up on. I try to think about this in the same way I teach my students to think about their new job as nurses. Although we tend to get ingratied into the position and the people you work with. Human nature dictates that we try to make our jobs "normal". This can lead to a scenario where experiences that your customers/patients/students find new or intimidating are old hat to you as the experienced professional. I constantly struggle with keeping my teaching fresh as I get a new group of students each 10 weeks. I find it helps a great deal to work hard to humanize my students as it helps energize me to give the most to my students.
Students are more likely to come to class eager to learn when the instructor is enthused to be there and excited about the material he/she is presenting. If students come to class they are more likely not to fall behind and complete their respective program.
Dale Carnegie stated that Enthusiasm is the little known secret to success. This holds true for any venture. If you are excited about something you can get others excited about it too. I tell my students how much I love teaching the classes I teach and why. For computer classes I explain how the process was handled years ago and how grateful I am for the new technology. I then ask them to think about what the process will look like in the future.
If the instructor does not care about the class session why should the student. If the instructor does not care about the subject, then why should the student.
How can a student learned to have passion for the career field if the instructor has lost his/her passion for the field?
Thus the instructor's enthusiasm influence student retention means everything.
