A student may not remember what you said, but they wil ALWAYS remember how you made them feel. If you interact with every student...they feel special, like they mean something and are important. If you can bring them up just a little bit every day...they will stay the course!
Interacting with students makes you seem more accessible. I personally have a math problem I use the legth of the lesson minus the class time then devide the remainder by the number of student in the class. This will give you an assesment of how much time can be spent with each student individually if necessary. As we know, not every student will need this 1 on 1 help so the extra time is split between those who do. This is especially useful in lab situations, I have actually made a lab station for tutoring duing hands on labs for those who need.
I beleive that each student appreciates when the teacher interacts and makes them want to excel in that classroom. I love to interact with my students and let them know that I can learn from them as well as them learning from me.
Our school has an eating area, and I usually eat around there, which encourages students to approach me. They seem to respect me because of this, and I can help them with any problems they might have as pertaining to their learning. Plus, I enjoy getting to know my students on a personal level.
Interaction keeps students interested and shows them that you are interested in them and value their thoughts.
Hi Patricia,
Students like to know that they are important, and you really care about them.
Patricia
Yes the students should feel important and let them know that they are important.
Interacting with students benefits both the instructor and the student. The instructor gains knowledge about their audience and can deliver an effective lecture more comfortably. The student feels they are no longer just an ID number but a real person with feelings who is appreciated.
Adult learners have made an important decision to return to the classroom to improve their lives and the lives of their family. They need to know that they've made the right decision. They need to be validated. You can do that by interacting with them and proving to them that they made the right decision.
Hi Patricia,
Excellent point! Adults really want to be involved in the learning process, and they should. I like to get my students actively involved as well.
Patricia
Class discussion and interaction is key in my classroom. I am not the one man show. This is how I know they are getting the material or I need to adjust. Adult learning is more a two way street.
On the first day of a class I introduce myself and start interacting with students by asking each student to introduce themselves to the rest of the class. I often ask a student to answer the question "What do you think is the relevance of this class in your program of study?" or "Why did you choose this field of study?"
Interaction also occurs naturally with adult learners because they often relate personal experiences to a topic or discussion. This reinforces what the class is learning and can give relevance to the topic.
Interaction with students enable them to feel that they matter. It also gives a sense that, so far, they are excelling in the course. I feel it breaks down the barrier between instructor and student. When I was in school, because of the interaction between my instructor and me I felt more comfortable approaching him when I had an issue.
Interacting with students brings them into the class and helps student verify why they are taking the class in the first place. When students take ownership they participate and are generally more apt to follow through with classroom expectations.
Hi Karen,
Whenever there is interaction between the students and the instructor, the students tend to be more open with the instructor.
Patricia
It is what we do! The developement of an educational relationship is with the student is crucial. Mutual respect is developed and the open communication between instuctor and student, on any level is important to the student feeling a part of the education process, a part of the class and therefore more open to being able to add to the class and also take away necessary skills and information.
This seemingly small step seems to help quite a bit in my classroom as well. I think that it is nice to know that the instructor has interest in you and your success in class so I usually try to ask how they are and then how things are going with their project.
Every student you teach needs the interactive communications for their piece of mind and to assist you in determining which teaching method needs to be used to reach the specific goals of that student. I tell my students that learning is a two way street. I will learn something from them and they will learn from me – that is my goal!
Hi Regina,
You are definitely on point! A simple smile and hello can really mean a lot to students. Students like to know that they matter.
Patricia
