Hi Althea,
I am a witness to this with over 24 years of tenure! Boundaries are important in an instructor/student relationship.
Patricia Scales
Hi Marlene,
You are absolutely correct! It blows my mind the way some instructors come to work...looking a complete mess.
Patricia Scales
Hi Dyana,
I concur! Students do not need another buddy, they need a role model.
Patricia Scales
Hi Ashpreet,
No, I do not believe in being students friend. I have seen where this type of relationship has caused instructors their job. I have seen this more than a couple of times in my 24-year tenure.
Patricia Scales
Hi Andre,
Boundaries must be established with the student/instructor relationship.
Patricia Scales
Hi Stephanie,
Distance is key in an instructor/student relationship. It should be clear who is the instructor and who is the student.
Patricia Scales
It ia alwary improtant to maintain the professtional image with student because it set the standards you are requiring from them and also the standards they are requiring from you as the instructor. The student are there to learn and receive knowledge from you and that is an image you want them to respect you for.
As the Harvard professor stated, students want their teachers to like them, and may believe they want to be friends, but the moment an instructor crosses that line, the student will be disappointed. I agree with that sentiment, and believe that barring the student and instructor knowing one another from another setting, such as living in the same neighborhood, or attending the same church, it is never a good idea for instructors to be friends with their students. When students see their instructors outside of the professional role as authority in the classroom, I believe it will erode their appearance as expert within the class.
You are not "equals" in the sense that you have authority over them. You are responsible to teach, coach and assess them. They are reliant on you to get every penny of their tuition from your knowledge base. Sometimes that requires you to give them difficult constructive feedback which may jeopardize them "liking" you. But their respect is more important than them liking you. They have friends to like.
Students will respect you better when professional boundaries are established and maintained.
Maintaining a professional image needs to start with the dress code. Instructors cannot enter a classroom sloppy. They are a role model. The first thing the student notice is the clothes, hair, shoes.
Maintaining professionalism is key. You are not friends with your students and therefore need to act as an authoritative figure so they can respect you as an instructor. Students need someone to look up to, and it is up to us to keep that image strong for our students.
I feel this is so important for all instructors. Keeping a professional distance causes less problems. You can not be a students friend and teacher. You can be their teacher and care for them but if they feel there is a friendship bond the line of respect is lost. You have to let them know that this is class and yes we can laugh and make jokes but serious time means we get our work done. I always tell my students that in the work filed there is time for laughter and play but you have to do your work. When its work time there is no play or mess around we have to remain professional. Anybody ever have an issue trying to be their students friend?
Professional distance clarifies boundaries while empowering the student to respect the instructor and the content of the course. This then becomes one less distraction for the class thereby facilitating the learning process.
It is very importent to keep yor relation of student as a perfessional because you giving the the basis ho to conduct themself in ther job
Maintaining a professional distance allows for a level of respect to always be present. Also, this distance allows students to feel equality and decreases the incidence of the perception of having "favorites" within the classroom.
If you share personal info/problems with certain students( trying to get them to like you more) actually creates lack of respect. In the future they will be your"colleague" , not your "buddy".
Maintaining a professional image is very important for class management. It gains the respect that the students give you as an instructor and a professional in the field. It also shows the student how to behave and act and what to expect in his/her chosen profession.
As an instructor you set a precedence for being the overall leader of the class. Do I want all my students to like me? Of course. Will every student like me? No. And this is ok. I didn't become an instructor to make friends. I became an instructor to teach the necessary material for all of my students to depart from the courses with confidence in their skills and a strong desire to want to succeed out in their chosen field. By maintaining my professionalism I decrease the opportunity for students to take advantage. Students will try to pick up on any vulnerability and use it to their advantage. By adhering to a professional standard, an instructor also gains the respect of the students vs. trying to be a friend and becoming one the students. Keep your emotions and judgements in check in order to maintain control as the authoritative figure.
I am instructing a students because I want them to be successful and respected as they go out in the field. Sometimes if I have become too close with student or become a friend, I can't see or tell them clearly on the important issues that they don't want to hear. Therefore, I always put a professional distance so that I can be clear and direct them to right way.
