Effective Retention Strategies
How can instructors become aware of effective retention strategies for use in their classes?
Jim,
Your first sentence says it all. This is where we must remain firm with our students and sometimes with our college. We must retain the standards of our field because we are producing individuals that will enter that field and they must be trained so they can be successful. One generation of failures and our program will be gone and as a result no one benefits.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Retention should NEVER be traded for academic integrity!
Retention of students with problems requires adminstrative people assisting the instructor.
The adult students have other situations that interfere with schoolwork. When family problems rear their dirty heads the best sudent's achievment decreases. Children get sick, family members pass on, and for older students they may have children with school or legal problems. They may lose more time than allowed and miss material by being flexible when needed good students are kept. The failure of academic achievement often is helped by repeating the class if they are willing and able to do more work can make a succsessful graduate. Often a little time off they can stabilize their problems and return to a succsessful finish of the program.
When intentional failure because of making no attempt to do the work or attendance shoul not be passed just to improve retention rates, if neccessary hit the road. Come back in couple years when you grow up.
There are many other problems that a little help may imorove their situations. But we have to accept some students must drop when they get 10-15 with good behavior with possibility of 7. When he is released he will have a start on his rehabilitation.
Thank you, Dr. Meers. I feel really good about the dedication we have to our students.
Jamie,
Your last sentence says it all. It is one student at a time receiving the support that one student needs at a critical time. Your university is doing a good job of that through the services it offers students. Good that you get to teach in such a setting.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Sara,
How do you see these efforts improving your instructional abilities?
Thanks.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Our University has provided numerous/ongoing retention training. We understand the importance of listening to students' feedback and demonstrating our commitment to our students' success. We also understand the importance of real time customer service. We have partnered with a counseling service to provide free counseling sessions for our students. Retention begins one student at a time.
By sharing ideas with other instructors and doing courses like this one.
Kevin,
I agree because it gives us insight to how to work with our students in more targeted ways.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Frank,
I like the way you are incorporating the total person into your instructional planning. By "reading" body language, facial expressions and social interaction you are able to target your instruction to meet the needs of your students in a much more targeted manner.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Instructors should put themselves in the shoes of the sutdents whenever possible. I find this helpful in just about every situation.
For me,, retention begins on the first day of class. Establishing a rapport with the class and and developing the expectation that they can succeed in what may appear to be a difficult subject.
s the class progresses it is critical to monitor facial expressions, attendance patterns and how the student interacts with the class to develop a feel for how the student is doing and if a focused effort is required to bring the individual back to a comfort level where they can acknowledge their progress and see the application of the skills they are developing.
There is no single retention strategy that will work for every student. Knowing a little about each student goes a long way in helping an instructor find the best approach for a specific student.
Torria,
Good point. What are some of the most effective retention strategies you have learned about?
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Instructors can become aware of effective retention strategies through training.
Christopher,
You have a good balance to your approach. You are also realistic as you are preparing your students for success in the workplace. No there will not be fireworks in the classroom and/or workplace but excitement and enthusiasm can always be there as a result of you bringing it, which is sounds like you are.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
In order to keep students in the classroom, I feel we need to keep their attention. This I believe to be a two-fold process. The most important aspect for the adult learner is letting them know how the class material applies to their goal (career / job). Why am I teaching about human relations or why are HIPAA standards so important, etc... The second aspect is to keep the class energetic and positive. One cannot have fireworks in every class every day, and the workplace will not have that either. However to keep the content engaging is vital.
Effective retention strategies may be available from other instructors at the school. Receiving feedback from students is also very important. We coach our students and perform follow-ups with them to make sure that the initial course of action is still working and effective.
By researching other successful retention strategies used by peers. Inquire of students what they feel would be effective in retaining them
Paul,
Thank you for these excellent comments about how to retain students. They are right on the mark. Retention is a must not only for the college but for the students if they are going to create futures for themselves.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Instructors need to get to know their students, show them genuine concern about their goals and abilities, and then incorporate teaching strategies that benefit all of the different types of students in the class. When any of the students begin to struggle, the Instructor needs to realize that a new strategy may be necessary for a particular student to grasp the subject matter. Sometimes the student gets overwhelmed with the amount of information presented, and just needs more time to take it all in. Many times though, the student needs a different type of presentation to help them understand the material or concept. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to learn something you don't understand. Once the Instructor presents the material so the student understands it, they will remember it. When an Instructor finds the best strategy for particular students, he or she can incorporate it into their normal method of presentation, note which material it works best with, or use it when they recognize the same type of student.
