Hi Tim,
I like your take on this! I teach in a very simplistic way. I assume my students do not know anything so that I make a great attempt to reach every student.
Patricia
Success leads to confidence and confidence leads to greater success. Therefore, I begin with simplicity and lead my students to greater complexity.
In the online environment it is so important that students feel connected with their instructor. For me, I want them to know that they can reach out to me, call me, email me, text me, whatever they need to do to know that I am here to help and guide them!
Lacey Finley
If I want students to be excited, I need to be excited! I will not teach a class that I am not excited about. That would not be fair to my students. It is important that I demonstrate first and foremost the importance of the course content. This has to happen right at the very beginning. Students need to see that their instructor loves the course that they are teaching. I think that having industry knowledge is very important. That way I can tell them very specifically why the course will matter to them now and down the road. I like to focus on their careers and their future! That is why they are in the course in the first place.
Lacey Finley
During the first day of class, I go over the syllabus and course outline. In the course outline, I point out the various items that students will be studying and will be practicing in a lab environment. I then try to bring in my own experiences how these items are used in the real world. I hope that this will give the students a better idea of why they need to learn the information.
Where I teach it is very easy to get student “Buy Inâ€, because all of my students request to attend our courses and the courses are needed for career progression. That being said, I still reaffirm why the students need the course and need to apply themselves while attending. When a student knows they will receive valuable information needed for the future, they are prepared to get started.
This is directly connected to the other issue discussed heavily in this section, which is connecting what the students are doing to the real world. There can be no buy-in from students if they can't see the relevance of what they are doing. It is at the core of their education, and is ESPECIALLY important in classes outside of their specialty (gen-eds, for example).
The service component of a restaurant may not be perceived as the "glamor" side of a restaurant career. The Chef is the star of the show. So in order to get chefs in-training to buy in to the course, I try to get the student to see how understanding the role of service will help the chef be successful. By not only being able to do the service work, but by also being able to design service and train the service staff, the successful chef will have consistently more satisfied guests and be more profitable. In this way, 3 weeks of service and front of the house training is a small price to pay for future success. I have found the students are willing to "drink the kool-aid".
Hi Ian,
Once students understand how they will benefit from the course, they are sold.
Patricia
I ask them what their career goals or next steps are and then tell them how the course will be relevent in their career.
Hi Jason,
My experience with making theory realistic has been very pleasant. My students tend to get it once I make theory real. Students must learn how to apply what they have learned.
Patricia
Hi Jonathan,
I also like to provide examples of real world scenarios. Students love to and need us to share our practical experiences.
Patricia
I like to ask for examples of real world scenarios.
Hi Karen,
I concur! Theory has to be made real in order for students to buy in to what's going on in the classroom.
Patricia
The course that has become my specialty is film preproduction. My students aren't all budding producers and directors -- some are just testing the waters.
I approach this course from the standpoint of the generalist. I explain that what they will be learning will be project management -- and that this is a skillset which is transferrable to any number of vocations. Not to mention, the skills are applicable to personal life management.
Hi Steven,
Absolutely! Once students see the benefits of mastering the skill, they are sold.
Patricia
I always try to show the student how they will benefit from learning new material or skill. I try to give an example how they can apply the new skill to the career job they are striving for. They need to know how they will benefit from the effort the put out.
In order to engage your students you MUST make your subject matter real. The Instructor has to be able to connect the information being taught into valuable information to be used in a real life situation. If the students can find no valid reason to know information; all you are doing is spouting out facts with no application to their chosen profession.
Making theory real to students is sometimes the hardest part of getting the students to understand. I try to show on paper and then as much as possible I bring in real applications and problem and have them solve the problems using only theory understanding. It seems to be working pretty good.
Hi Tina,
It would be nice if every student would buy in, but some students are really just very close minded. We must continue to encourage/motivate students as much as we can to get on board.
Patricia
