Maintaining a professional image
Why is maintaining a professional distance from students an important part of class management?
Developing a healthy relationship with students can strengthen their motivation, provide them with a comfortable access to your expertise, and an environment for support and guidance. This puts a lot of responsibility on the instructor to "be" the model, or example of the career they represent and want the students to remain motivated toward. Being the expert with the human touch keeps a door open to work with motivated and challenging students.
Hi Rachel,
I only befriend students on facebook when they graduate; this is way too risky while they are students. I fully understand being their friend on LindedIn.
Patricia Scales
A professional distance is needed to command respect of the class. It is always a good idea to establish a rapport, but crossing the line into being "close", "a buddy", or "pal" can blur the lines of objective instructing. It also may lead to the student(s) expecting "classroom favors". Then you are seen as being easily "brought & sold on the common market".
if we become friends with them they will lose respect for us and they will try to use the class time as a fun time and take away from other students learning.
It reminds the students that you are in charge of the class and that you are in control
I have had instructors tell me that they were friends with students on facebook when we were Western Career College. This was always weird to me because I want to keep my students as students and not as friends. We're allowed to be friends on LinkedIn and I think the professional connection is good.
Yes, students will look at you and instantly make assumptions about you. I was taught to lead by example. I always come to class well groomed and remain professional at all times. I hope that the students will emulate my behaviors and take what they have learned out into the field.
A professional distance from the students allows the teacher to maintain a position of respect. The teacher is not a friend, the teacher is a professional that keeps his personal affairs private . This does not allow any image tarnishing to develop.
If you don't maintain a professional distance you will quickly find yourself mired down in the petty bickerings and internal politics inherent in all social groups. A great deal of your instructional time will become devoted to sorting out issues that have nothing to do with class.
When we become too close to the student it is hard to maintain the professional relationship that we must have. If they think we are friends they might start to feel as though they can get away with things others in the class can not because we are friends. There must be boundries in the classroom otherwise it can appear to others that we have favorites also.
Hi Lynn,
Distance is key! You have to let the students know that you care about them and their success, but you must remain the professional in every sense.
Patricia Scales
Hi Susan,
Great response! I can tell you lead by example, and you truly are a professional.
Patricia Scales
The question is asking about professional distance from students. If , as a teacher , I do not maintain some distance from students, there is the tendency to become a "mother" figure. If this happens, the students begin to rely on you for advise and/or comfort. It also becomes difficult to maintain a level of professionalism in the classroom - which to me is a way of teaching them what is accepted behavior in the workplace.
An instructor is an instructor, not a student. They need to set the tone for the class and manage the class. If this seperation is not maintained the classroom atmosphere will not be conducive for learning. Students will try to take over and run the class. It is the instructor that has the knowledge and expertise to impart not the students. The students can lose respect for the instructor by becoming a "buddy". The instructor can loose their job by fraternizing with the students. In the classroom, as in life, not everyone is going to like you and you are not going to like everyone. Your job is not to like or dislike. It is to aid the students in obtaining the skills and knowledge needed in their chosen career.
Hi Fabiola,
You are on point! Rules are made to be adhered to by ALL. It is the instructor's responsibility to enforce the rules.
Patricia Scales
Hi Stacey,
You definitely have the right thought process! Be friendly to them, but do not become their friend...way too risky!
Patricia Scales
I think that students tend to test your authority when they become too friendly to you. There's a thin line between having a comfort level between you and your students and crossing the line to being friends. Students will will respect you more if you continue to show that you set the rules and that they need to stick to them.
I think it would be naive to say that we do not wish to be "liked" as instructors. That being said, there is a fine line between maintaining professionalism and trying to be their "friend." I see some instructors trying so hard to be their friend, that they lose sight of teaching professionalism. The key is to find that fine line, and stay just on the side of professional.
I agree that leading by example is very important. When you do not act professionally the students think they can have the same behavior.
