Being seen as assertive
I have difficulty being seen as assertive and as a new instructor it can be difficult to handle situations that I have never encountered, as I have never taught before. Teaching is different from training. My superiors have mentioned that eye contact is crucial, which I am working on. Are there any other tips someone could offer me?
Hi Vilma,
I concur! This is the attitude that all instructors should take. We have to be firm, yet fair with our student. We have to teach our students how to become professionals.
Patricia
Hello Carolyn,
I am also a new instructor, and yes, it is quite intimidating when you are faced with a new bunch of students who do not seem to want to follow any rules. But I learned quickly that I would rather be seen as firm and authoritative than soft and inexperienced. I did not want them to feel that they were in control of the class or of me. So what I decided was to explain everything that was expected of them from the very beginning. I explained which behaviors were not tolerable and what was acceptable. I also let them know that I was not a corrections officer, but someone on their side. Not their "enemy", so to speak, by explaining that I needed to prepare them to be professionals from that moment on. And that reinforcing good habits and professionality from the time they were students would result in higher success for them out in the real world. I feel that my students respected me more for this attitude.
Hi Ruth,
Great response! I treat everything students do as if it is being done in the workplace. We must prepare our students for success.
Patricia
Sometimes a new instructor isn't real clear about what behavioral guidelines need to be enforced in the classroom, and how to be assertive in backing up those guidelines. Experience will clarify for you what you can tolerate and how to eliminate undesireable behaviors as soon as they appear. I start out the first day comparing the classroom to the workplace, and let them know that this is the place to get in habits that will serve them well in the workplace. Anything that you know is inappropriate for large meetings at work is also inappropriate in a career training setting. If you approach your students as an expert in the field, with "real-world" experience in what is acceptable in the workplace, you will command a level of respect that even seasoned instructors may not be given. It is easier to be assertive when you compare their classroom behavior to a professional situation.
Hi Virginia,
Don't be intimidated by your students. You are the professional and the knowledgeable one. Be confident and do not let your students scare you.
Patricia
As a new instructor, the students scared me to death! But as the class went on, I learned to realized they are just trying to better themselves and since they were learning about a career field I already was familiar with, we could help each other. They could help me instruct them by having a roundtable type discussion about their goals once they finished school and using real life examples of how my class would benefit them, if they just let it.
As you develop confidence and fall into your routine your assertiveness will increase. Usually if you keep the classroom active with different types of activities and presentation techniques, this will keep them engaged. Managing our own feelings when faced with difficult behaviour – the difference between reactive and proactive response passive, hostile, assertive. Teacher communication styles, school cultures; script and body language; the language of choice; redirecting behaviour; practising the assertive skills Also develop a behavior plan with the following points:
Rules (the guidelines for composing them)
Rewards (non-verbal, verbal and material incentives)
Sanctions (non-verbal, verbal and material disincentives)
Good luck
With situations that come up do the best that you can at that time, but ask those that HAVE been teaching for some time "What would you do?" If it ever comes up again. We have different management styles here. If a cell phone is seen or someone eating in class or the like one instructor might just go tap that student on the shoulder and point to the offense where as another instructor will actually say something like "Gina, I know you don't have your cell phone out" You want to ask those instructors that continually recieve HIGH student satisfaction scores because they have a way about having good classroom managment without losing the respect of their students. It's a learning process and we are always forever learning. If a problem is continual, you want to pull that student aside and have a discussion as to WHY it is unacceptable and WHY you do not expect to see it anymore (verbal warning). A third time and a written warning and again documenting WHY it is unacceptable and the agreement as to why the student will not do it anymore and the consequences if the student DOES do it again (this might be done by the person in charge of the program like the program director) depending on the institution.
Being assertive can be a difficult issue to tackle for new instructors, especially for us that are brand new to teaching. I teach in a career college setting and most instructors are experts in their field, not in teaching. I am a trainer for new hires and this is a topic we hit hard because it is such an issue. Some of the points that I like to bring to light is; Remember, you know the material!! You are the expert and you should be proud about that. Confidence can be read by not only what is coming out of your mouth, but your body language as well. Hold your head up, stand up straight, and walk around the classroom while you talk. Set boundaries the first day, let the students know in clear terms what your expectations are. At this point, I always ask my students to then tell me what they expect from me. I do not use the scare tactic some of my collegues use, I think this can sometimes backfire if done too hard. The students aren't as apt to come to you for help and they are scared if they question what you are saying they will get "in trouble." I let them know that I expect them to respect me and I in turn will give them respect. You will see that in time, you will be right where you want to be! I am much more assertive than I was 3 years ago. Good luck, hope you find this helpful!
