Get Your Students Hired
Hi Debra,
Well said! We are definitely thinking alike when it comes to the student/teacher relationship. The relationship should be strictly business. I love the child/parent analogy.
Patricia Scales
Maintaining a professional distance from students is important to distinguish a clear instructor/student relationship. In the relationship I strive to have with my students I use calculated, professional reactions to their serious answers as well as to their humorous moments. I laugh with them and converse with them in the classroom as I would with colleagues in a professional setting. I feel that my students are friendly, cordial and respectful towards me and I to them but we do not consider each other as friends.
I use the same boundaries with my students as I use with my children. I am my children's parent. I am not their friend. In a similar manner, I am my student's instructor. I am not their friend.
Hi Lisa,
Age is only a number! I was 23 when I started in the industry, and my age was not an issue. I demonstrated, professionalism, confidence, knowledge, and firmness at all times. I gave my students what they needed professionally and educationally. I acted and looked the part of a professional.
Patricia Scales
Hi Michelle,
Absolutely! We need to be the professionals that we want our students to become.
Patricia Scales
I struggled with this in the beginning. I try and keep things professional. I am the same age if not younger than most students. I felt like they would't take me seriously. After I began teaching they don't seem to even notice I'm younger. They just want to learn.
Hi Susana,
We are definitely role models to our students. We certainly should lead by eample.
Patricia Scales
Hi Tammy,
I have seen this as well. Boundaries must be established. The instructor needs to remember their role and not bring their personal life into the classroom.
Patricia Scales
I see students who try to take advantage of instructors who are to friendly or share to much of their personal life with the class.
Maintaining a professional image is very important because we, instructors, are role models to these students. They see us as what they would be like once they finish school.
Hi Vanessa,
Befriending students is never good! It is way too risky, and it is really frowned upon.
Patricia Scales
Hi Torsten Sven,
I agree! We have to keep our distance as professionals. We must lead by example and be the professional that we want our students to become. Respect is important in a student/teacher relationship.
Patricia Scales
Maintaining a professional distance from your students keeps you out of trouble. When you cross that line and try to be their friend for respect it can make other students feel like you are playing favorites and it also looks like you are trying to cover up lack of knowledge even though that might not be the case.
Sadly, I've seen the negative ramifications of not keeping professional distance. When I was a student, we had an instructor who needed to be liked. Sadly the class slowly lost respect for him. Interestingly, it had nothing to do with his subject matter (DJing, Music Production, Synthesis), credentials (he was a resident DJ in a respected local club), etc. But in time, the class knew they could pull the friend card and push the instructor around during class with disrespectful comments, inside jokes etc. Even in the audio world, it is extremely hard to respect an instructor on Monday that you 'hit the club with' on Saturday.
It is similar to maintaining professional boundaries with your patients. They want to know you are concerned about them, but they will lose respect for you if you try to be their friend. Be their coach or mentor, not their friend.
We need to remain neutral with students in order to maintain balance in the classroom. Favoritism can be perceived by students if we as teachers do not achieve nuetrality.
Hi Stacy,
You are definitely on point! Befriending students causes way too many problems. They think they can do whatever they want when you become their friend.
Patricia Scales
You don't want to blur the lines between being a teacher and a friend. As the teacher you have clear expectations that are to be met. The student knows what is expected of them. If you act or become their friend all bets are off. They will not do the assignments, ask to turn in late work and not do what is expected of them. They will not take the class seriously. You can still show them that you care about them by asking how they are but you must maintain that professionalism.