Hi Glenn,
I like how you allow your students to see you as being less than a perfect person. We all make mistakes and will continue as long as we live. We simply learn from them, use them to teach others, and enjoy what we do.
Patricia
At my institution, the students are required to dress in a specific manner. I make a point of dressing professionally and explaining the importance of the dress code to promote the idea of professionalism. When you look like a professional, you tend to act more like a professional. Also, I try to be approachable to my students if they have a problem...whether it is personal or professional in nature. I have stated to my students that I am not here to be your friend but I am here to help you succeed and achieve your career goals.
Hi Jennifer,
What an awesome mixture to have fun while learning! Students retain more if they are having fun while learning, according to studies.
Patricia
I agree! There is nothing more important than a positive classroom environment. First it shows the students how to behave professionally in a workplace environment. Most importantly, there have been numerous educational studies proving that students learn more when they are having fun and are in a positive mood.
Jennifer
Dressing professionally, demonstrating enthusiasm for and knowledge of the content being delivered, and using confident, assertive body language help to create a positive instructor image.
By taking the time to share your challenges and triumphs as I navigated my career, I demonstrated how decision based on knowledge or lack there of made me. Using the successes I encountered I inspire, and the challenges I faced I show humility. This iss my grand approach to set in place strong foundations with realism that helps the student see me as a real person. I have made mistakes, I have grown from them and I am still learning and applying the knowledge consistently.
I try to start off with some kind of game and do my best to learn the student names before the end of class. I get worried though about disorganization. I have improved in this area, but I will never fully overcome this hurdle. I constantly lose and forget things.
How I cope with this as a teacher is I let them know up front? I confess to them that I have combatted this for years and I ask for your patience. Even if I lose every paper I ever printed out. It is stored on my desktop computer (oddly enough, I keep this organized.)
I think this helps to allay their fears.
Hi.You should take care your appearance but your behavior too.
Ms Melendrez
Hi Kevin,
Awesome response! You made some great points! Our students can certainly tell if we are faking it to make it. Faking it will cause students to lose all respect for you.
Patricia
Even before you walk into the classroom/lab be sure that you know what you're talking about. With a solid and deep understanding of your content area inside you, you will arrive in the classroom brimming with confidence that will be immediately picked up by your students. Dress as if you were going to a business meeting-because you are. In my school all students must wear a uniform in a color that identifies in what program they participate. I have a uniform too. When my students see me in a suit, dress shirt and tie they perceive an air of professionalism that I'm trying to project. I find it to my advantage to incorporate humor where I can. Wearing a suit does not mean that one has to be a stuffed shirt. Seeing the lighter side of an instructor, on occasion, gives the student an opportunity to see the human side of their instructor. All of these factors contribute to the positive image of the instructor. Where intructors are perceived in a positive light much learning can occur.
Hi Eddie,
I agree! We should certainly act the part as well as look the part. Our students look to us to teach them acceptable professional behavior.
Patricia
Hi Carey,
Absolutely! Practice what you preach! Lead by example!
Patricia
Not only do I dress professionaly but I also stick to the student dress code as well. Our students because they are in the health field have certain specific items that they need to wear or specific guidelines to follow regarding jewelry, etc... So I follows these guidelines as well.
I thoroughly agree with all the statements made thus far regarding dressing properly and demonstrating professionalism to our students.
Some personal steps I have taken to this end include: Dressing in a professional manner, making myself available to help out my fellow instructors when they need me to assist them, replying to my students questions in a time efficient manner, acting respectfully to both my students and all other University personnel, and finally trying my best to proactively prepare my lessons so that I am ready to teach.
Although, I realize that sometimes I may still fall short in these areas, I do try my best to "practice what I preach". I believe if I want my students to emulate professional behaviors, I need to do my very best to mirror it for them on a daily basis.
No one likes a hypocrite, and although our students may not currently have the subject expertise that we do in a given area, they can surely tell whether we actually believe what we say, or if we are just going through the motions.
Since I am an RN instructor, I always dress in uniform and for clinical sessions or field trips, I wear my "whites" to give the old example of professionalism. I have experimented with this in the classroom, showing up in casual dress and am recevied very differently by students. This also helps me to maintain a professional distance from my students and hold their respect rather than any of us forming a "friendship" bond.
I like to walk into the class and set the example of how I expect the students act and look for class. Once the expectation is set it is easier to teach or convey what is in the class content.
1. Set the ground rules from day 1, making sure that you are the example of professional dress, appearance, and conduct.
2. Students must see that you are fair and consistent in maintaing the rules. We cannot waiver.
3. Students must know that you care about them as individuals by letting them know that you care to have an individual,professional relationship with them. Know your students names by day 2 and call them by their individual title, Mr., Ms. or Mrs. Pulling each individual aside when needed to stress this is important. Making yourself available to the student and their needs for tutoring and addressing of issues.
Thank you for the comment.
The students need to realize, this is to help you become successful in your future career. By creating a positive role mode for them, showing enthusiasm for the course and the school, will help them to become more involved and excited about being in college.
Hi Cynthia,
I concur! We should be the professionals that we want our students to become.
Patricia
Hi Karen,
I like the image you potray! Our students need as many role models as possible so that they know what to emulate in the workplace.
Patricia
