Hi Chantal,
Exactly, they enrolled in school to become educated not befriended.
Patricia
Hi Debbie,
I concur, but as you mentioned boundaries must be established that students are not allowed to cross.
Patricia
Instructors need to "draw a line" between them and the class. True, we are not here to be their friend but we can be friendly.
Hi Esther,
Absolutely! Professionalism says alot about you as a person as well as a professional.
Patricia
Hi Scott,
I concur! Even adult students appreciate rules, policies and procedures. They like and need structure.
Patricia
Students are like children in a very important way ... both crave the discipline and rules that only someone in a repected position can establish. If you become the students' friend then that line is crossed and they will never look to you as a person of authority.
So you can be a more effective instructor
Students are paying for a service when they come to class and the service is to be taught information towards their career. To try and become a friend of theirs diminishes your role as an educator and takes the focus away from your duty which is to stear them towards their life's goal.
You risk falling into a trap of becoming a buddy and losing the respect of the rest of your students. Students don't need more friends; they are paying you to be a mentor, an example.
We are trying to train professionals who can be employed. By setting the correct example we can attempt to reach that goal.
We should strive to raise their level of professionalism by treating them as professionals from the first day of class. It would be unprofessional to cross the line between student and instructor.
I think there is a fine line that can not be crossed when it comes to maintaining professional distance. While you are in my class, I am your instructor and here to teach you what you need to know about the field that you are going into. I am not here to be your friend. I want my students to get the most from my classes. That is the way it has to be.
Hi Carrie,
I concur! The instructor should always be regarded as the professional, therefore you must watch your every move and behave as a professional.
Patricia
Hi Peggy,
Students will certainly respect you if they regard you as a true professional.
Patricia
Hi Lois,
Awesome response! I can tell you lead by example!
Patricia
Hi Bonnie,
If we treat students with respect and they regard us as being friendly and personable, they tend to like us and most important of all respect us.
Patricia
Hi James,
They certainly do! They lose a great sense of respect for you whenever they regard you as one of their friends. Keep business strictly professional!
Patricia
Hi Judy,
I concur! We must respect our students and show them that we are a professional in every way.
Patricia
Hi Bob,
Your attitude/personality is regarded as your inner image. Students judge us both on our inner and outter actions.
Patricia
Hi Jay,
It saddens me to see unprofessional instructors in the workplace and administration simply will not do anything about it. We need to clean house if an employee is not role model material.
Patricia
Hi David,
Students fully respect you when they regard you as being a professional in every way!
Patricia
