This is so key in setting up classroom management and professional dress is one way. Image of professionalism along with a good grasph of the knowledge and passion for teaching will go along way for respect in the classroom.
It keeps you in the position as the expert......respect is given, otherwise, lost if you put yourself on their level.
You show by your experiance and knowledge that you are where they wish to be, or you have been in that position or that you will show them some keys to get to that point. You cannot be their buddy.
Right you are James Bates. I think you should dress professionally and represent the institution and your colleagues as a professional. One should avoid loud clothes, and especially those clip-on neckties that look bad.
Hi Nancy,
You are very fortunate to have this type of technology (smartboard) to utilize at your institution. It is a great teaching tool.
Patricia
It is imporant to maintain a professional distance to remain objective and to allow the student to learn and grow. The object of teaching is to facilitate the students learning, not befriend them.
rebecca
Gee, I wish I had a Smartboard.
The very best lecturer I ever had in school was in the days before these devices, but he did use the four sides of two mobile white boards. By the end of class, there was not an inch of whitespace left.
This is so true. But, you can enigineer the impression. It is not just a look. It lies in how you enter the class, how you make eye contact, how you smile, how you greet students, etc.
I agree with what you said. I find using the smartboard and powerpoint enhances my instruction and makes it more engaging for the student.
I am afraid we talk about distance as if it were measurable. It is a behavior and a quallity of leadership.
General Ed Instructors do not wear the whites, but they still should appear professional. I have noticed that this is a bigger issue in our environment than at the Community College where there is little in the way of dress codes for Instructors.
General Ed Instructors can look very very professional in Docker Slacks and a dress shirt. It does make a difference. As always, it is a courtesy to others as much as anything else.
Hi Rody,
There should be no mistaken that you are their instructor ONLY.
Patricia
Hi Nancy,
First impressions are lasting. You never get an opportunity to make another first impression.
Patricia
Hi Rodney,
There should be a distinct UNSPOKEN role of the instructor verses student.
Patricia
Hi Dorrell,
You can not allow the students to be on a personal level with you. Your relationship with the student is strictly professional in nature.
Patricia
Hi Aprilyn,
Boundaries must be set whenever you have a role that deals with students.
Patricia
Yes, Nancy it is huge. But, I think this communication is least seen in an Instructor's bio and more in his or her ability to SHOW. They need to make the impression with first rate lecture ability, interactive visual presentations, and clear and attractive handouts. Professionalism is as much in the doing as it is in the saying.
I guess I wonder what instrucotrs are doing that makes them appear to be buddies?
Instructors who are self-confident and self-contained should have their heads on straight about ths. All an instructor has to know is just how old a student thinks "old" is. Any instructor who is trying to be one of "them" is quickly marked as such and not taken very seriously.
This goes without saying, but it is a behavior.
In industry, employees would tell me that their supervisor did not "respect" them when I knew, in fact, that the Manager thought the world of them. The explanation for the disconnect was in the manager's behavior.
Behavior can be separated from style.
