Hi Lola,
Absolutely! It is probably more important with adult students because a child will always see you as the teacher, regardless.
Patricia
Hi Mary,
Students will imitate what we do professionally. We are the role models for our students.
Patricia
Hi David,
We are in the business to teach our students not befriend them.
Patricia
Hi Lindsay,
Distance is very important. We should never give our students the inclination that we are befriending them.
Patricia
Hi Scott,
I concur! Students should know that our lives are not perfect, but we work through our problems by using good problem solving skills, and we continue to push forward with our goals.
Patricia
Hi Karen,
Super response! You are right, our students have a ton of problems. Some problems are beyond our scope, therefore we need to refer them to experts in the various areas.
Patricia
Hi Laura,
I agree! Students really examine us carefully! We must always behave in a professional manner. Afterall, our students really learn from us.
Patricia
Hi Amy,
I concur! Everything I do with my students is applicable to workplace learning.
Patricia
Hi Troy,
Absolutely, we are not in teaching to win a popularity contest!
Patricia
Students think they want to be your friend when actually they do not. They want guidance and look up to you.
I think that we need to set ourselves apart from our students. We must show them that we are approachable and sincere, but we need to maintain a nice instructor Student relationship. I am not here to be there friend but I would like to be their mentor. I also announce on the last Day of Class I will always be available for them, just Email me or find me on Campus. And I tell them that we cannot be friends on Facebook until they have graduated.
The students need to respect you, not like you.
Maintaining a professional distance from students is important because it mimics what should occur in the workplace. There is an old adage that says "Familiarity breeds contempt." - I have always told my students to treat their classes as though it was their jobs. If you wouldn't be on a specific level at work, you shouldn't be at school either.
Maintaining a professional distance from students is an important part of class management because students are monitoring us every moment, they are waiting for us to make an error and see how we will respond in correcting the situation. We must maintained a level of professionlism to show the students that we care about their success.
We have many students who return to school with many personal problems, although we contend that walking in the door, the school becomes their safe heaven. With that said, an instructor can and should be a listener, but not the solver of their problems by maintaining professionalism and leading them in the right direction for some assistance.
and they should. this is how we learn and grow as people. they need to see us make mistakes, and correct them, along with the other problems or issues we have that relate to class material or life problems. this is how we learn to deal with multiple problems and concerns on a daily basis, and when they see that the same probs happen to us, they open up more, in my opinion.
Hi Tania,
I totally agree! The classroom is not the place to discuss your personal business. The student/teacher relationship should always be kept strictly professional.
Patricia
Hi Melania,
A line has to be drawn. Your behavior should demonstrate professionalism at all times that want to be emulated by others.
Patricia
Hi Connie,
We must demonstrate to our students what professional behavior is like.
Patricia
Its important to keep your distance because then they think their your friends and deserve different treatment.
