We must remember that we all have emotions, problems and are not perfect. sometimes we get involved in just being the instructor and not realie their is a human side to us all.
It is to common that instructors fouse on grades and not the person behind the grade. Each person is a human and we as instructors must repect that each person learns in there own way.
It is the duty of the instructor to understand the personaland academic difficulties of the students and to try his best to help to solve it.
also the support of the family ,friends and relatives is considered a good human factor in retension .
mutual love and respect is another human factor that help retention.
generally speaking ,i think human factor play an important role if not the major role in retention.
Hi Kevin,
So true. This is what makes teaching worth it. We get to work with students and help them achieve their career goals. By them knowing we are there to support them they can focus on the course and completing all of the requirements.
Gary
The human factor is critical in student retention. If the class believes that you care about their success they are more likely to approach you when they are having problems. This interaction can be the difference between a positive or negative learning environment for the entire class.
I could not agree with you more. I know that when I myself was a student the more I could relate the information to my life and my future goals the more I wanted to succeed and excel.
Hi Lisa,
True and critical for instructors to bring into the classroom. We are all humans and so interaction needs to be frequent and supportive.
Gary
Hi Joshua,
So true and so critical. The students need to be invested in the course and see value from what is being presented. If they do then success will be more frequent and more impacting to them.
Gary
Being genuine and providing some comfortable self-disclosure provides openness to the setting.
Since we are all human, I believe the "Human Factor" is 110% critical. Acceptance, respect, and acknowledgement are asked for by students every day in many different ways. Communication is the miracle cure students during their journey through college.
The human factor is also an important way for the students to personalize their education. By making it personal, or one with their life experiences, they using the information, thus getting what they set out to get, an education, a good grade, and a future. Thus keeping the student.
I agree, there needs to be a "why" for some students as to "what" they are learning. What do you do though if the student or students after being shown, still does not respond?
The human factor is important in everything, especially in retention. For students to see the sincerity and dedication that a teacher puts into his or her students, that goes a long way. They want to see that they love what they do and that they are there for them.
Hi Wendy,
Dead on in terms of why we need to work hard in our retention efforts. We need to be organized and prepared each time we step into the classroom. To be anything less is unfair to the students.
Gary
Almost more than 1oo%. In teaching children, they have to be in school. With adults, they do not have to be in school, they choose to be. And when they are not happy or satisfied with their "product", they are likely to leave.
I think the human-factor is the reason we are able to retain some students at all. I began teaching in a class where none of the students knew each other or me. By the end of the class each student had everyone else's phone number and kept in touch during the class break. This gap was bridged by allowing the students to reveal the human side of themselves during class discussions, which were intense at times. Also, at the beginning of each class the tables were moved and the chairs were arranged in a circle. This enabled each of us to be an equal member of the discussion. After a while, the students were able to encourage and support each other through the difficult times during the semesters.
Some students' have so many outside challenges that no matter how hard I try to keep them in school, they still fall to the wayside. We have had students' drop for drug use, arrests, drinking too much the night before and jail time. This affects our attrition rate tremendously. What is the solution if any and what can we do within reason to help these students, if possible. I have four children and I teach full-time, so I put a lot of effort into my personal and professional life. My experience goes back 30 years and sometimes I become discouraged by a students lack of personal responsibility. Any feedback would be appreciated.
It is important to the student so they can see how they can relate the material to their own personal lives, especially in the career field they so choose to be in
Many students are enrolled in a career college as a result of traumatic events in their lives. They are unsure if they can really do it. They will need to be encouraged, reinforced and rewarded for their efforts.
It is important for them to see meaning or purpose in the information they are learning.
