It does by imparting to the student a sense of the value or benefit of the subject they are studying. In my earlier reply I mentioned my Greek teacher in seminary. His love for the language motivated me to complete the class. His enthusiasm showed me the value of learning the language, and succeeded in motivating me to "hang in there."
Howard,
Thank you for this example of instructor enthusiasm. This should get all of us instructors fired up as we prepare for our classes.
Gary
Instructor enthusiasm influences student retention by imparting to the student a sense of value/benefit of the subject. In seminary I had a Greek teacher whose love of the language was ineffectous! How ineffectous was it? So much so that Greek became my passion as it was his despite my final grade of "c". He showed me something of the greatness of the language, and it caught!
Alvin,
Excitement is catching. Good point about how we need to bring it to each class we teach. This really helps to keep the students engaged.
Gary
An instructor's enthusiasm is contagious and shows the students that the instructor believes in what he/she is teaching. This enthusiasm brings the entire classroom's energy level up and this will help with student participation. As more students are involved in the classroom, the level of learning for individual students increases.
Karen,
Right you are. We like to be around people that are excited about something. An instructor really sets the tone for the class by being excited about getting to teach the content of his/her field.
Gary
Michael,
This is a good point and one we need to keep in mind as we bring our professionalism to the classroom.
Gary
The instructor that shows enthusiasm influences student rentention considerably. When the instructor is enthusiastic and demonstrates confidence then the student will be more comfortable and want to come to class. In addition, the student will be interested in the material and be more attentive.
Instructor enthusiasm is multifaceted, with the use of voice inflection, examples, real world application, and the use of multi media and a variety of techniques keeps the student engaged and interested in continuing and participating in the course.
Showing the students that I honestly love the career they are choosing makes teaching easy for me and meaning for them.
Jeanie,
Great to hear. I know both your enthusiasm and the excitement of the students will carry throughout the duration of the course.
Gary
Instructor enthusiasm increases student retention because enthusiasm is contagious. If the instructor is energetic in his teaching methods and excited about the lesson and his field, that excitement will rub off on the students. If learning is fun, students will be excited to come to class and actually look forward to it, rather than dread it.
It keeps the students from becoming disinterested in the course. It helps students to see the expertise an instructor carries because if you are not enthused about your discipline, the students will definitely not want to pursue what you are giving them. If you are not enthused about your teaching, the students might think you are not enthused about the institution as well; then, the student is not retained.
The lecture and theory part of the course material can be very boring. Teacher enthusiasm keeps students engaged in the material and the learning process can flow. Enthusiasm is catching, so when I am teaching the musculoskeletal system or cardio coding which can make you feel bogged down, I lighten it up with stories and experiences I had concerning the topic and get them to laugh but also see why it is important. I get enthusiastic about how the blood flows through the heart and how doctors have come up with various procedures to fix valves, etc. and I think it is fascinating. They will chim in too.
I liked what the course talked about when they said we lose steam sometimes in our entusiasm and excitement if we are doing the same thing over and over- I felt that way this last semesterin one course and I already have plans to change that and try to find things that liven up the clas and allow the studnets to work more in groups. - jeanie
Dorothea,
Good strategy for spreading out the learning opportunities. By working in these different areas the students get different exposure points that enhance their engagement and retention.
Gary
Jean,
Excitement is catching. The more we bring to the classroom the greater the enthusiasm level is going to be for all of the learners.
Gary
When the instructor shows enthusiasm in the classroom, it rolls off onto the students, creating an energetic learning environment. Using creativity can also be a benefit to the student/instructor. Ex: word games/puzzles (written word learners) (jeopardy), hands-on activities (kinesthetic learners). The instructor will be able to identify weakness and strong points of each student.
Instructor enthusiam helps with retention becaue the student sees the excitement the instructor shows for the course and career and profession. This helps the student stay focused and they want to persevere.
Geri,
So true. Enthusiasm is catching and it spreads throughout the class if the instructor brings it in to the class with a high level of energy.
Gary
