Responsibility for Retention
It is sometimes difficult for school employees to understand that in one way or another we are all responsible for the retention of the students. This is realized through how we interact with them on a daily basis. It can be as easy as asking how someone is doing or as difficult as a coaching session that requires specialized assignments to help individuals succeed.
I agree Steve. The difference in the students attitude greatly improves with simply asking them how they are doing. Often times students feel management and instructors are unapproachable, and some times they are correct. By making an effort to interact in a positive fashion with the students, negative paradigms start to fade away.
How do you get a clear vision of what students should expect? Is that from their point of view or the school's?
I believe like many that retention is a responsibility of all that are involved in a training institution. Having a clear vision of what the student should expect is a starting point at where retention maybe lost or gained and having improvement in completion rates was best said (by doing the right things the right way and having the right people in the right places at the right time).
On a simple plane it is a large part of what the students feel and think they may or may not do depending on us as instructors. Many of our students are not college level students. May already have doubts about being in school. They need the positive support we can give them. How doe know if it is working? They stay in class and succeed.
Showing a positive attitude in front of your students generates a positive feeling in them greeting them in the hall asking them how they are doing will generate a good vibe with them. I find myself becoming happier to.
I try to treat the student like a person and ask them how there day is going or what class there are in .In class I see how they are doing or if they are having any issus I let them know I am there for any thing that could be on there mind regarding school
Steve, we know it is everyones job to try to keep the students in school. we as instructors have to be at the front line of this, no matter what anybody says, because we are with the students all day.
I think it is Important to never loose site of the fact that when we interact with students at every level, giving directions, answering questions at break, or showing interest in something that is important to them even when not related to class, that extra attention can make the difference in them felling comfortable and accepted or uncomfortable and left out. When ever you come in contact with students on campus or passing them on the street that is an opportunity to improve retention or run that person off. Of course we must perform well in the class room that’s not where we need the reminder to make an extra effort. Its when we are tired and have answered the same question ten time and we want to go to lunch that we need to make the extra effort to listen to there story about there girlfriend or that six second car they have at home that we miss opportunities to reach a little deeper and maybe save one we didn’t know needed saving.
How do you evaluate your effectiveness in delivering this process?
its like this ,If you give them the information and how to preform a task then you need to follow up with how to apply it.Also reinforce why the need to know the material .this will help them understand why they are here and want to stay in school
It goes like this
I understand that this is how yuo (feel)
Others Have (felt ) this way too
What I have (found) is that.
This is a tool that works for employees as well as students it gives a sense of understanding and goal with out becoming directive or defensive.
In most cases a student is having challenges do to out side influences and when questioned they focus on the last thing that triggered the feeling. After addressing the reason the student came to you, you may have an opportunity to dig deeper in to the life and find that there are other things that need to be addressed.
Example:
Student comes in and says that he/she is going to quit and that they don't feel that this is the right place for them and that school at this time was a mistake, that their instructor is treating them ill and singling them out.
I have found that it is not school or the instructor 80% of the time. it is some thing at home or a room mate maybe it is that they did not eat that morning.
If you don't address the first feelings you will never discover the underling motivation or issue.
We must build trust and then we become successful in retention.
If a student feels you are approachable the will come with any thing not just the problems and we all know we want to be apart of the success.
I'm not familiar with the Feel, Felt and Found method, Andrew. Could you please explain for the Forum participants?
I agree
It is a day to day, person by person interaction that has a direct effect on retention. I have found that applying the Feel, Felt, and Found method works with both employees and students. When we have empathy for their situations and help them to see what could be done to have a more positive experience the students seem to find the value again and the why of being in the class room and move forward with education.
Please give us more detail, Michael. How do you remind personnel about their role? Do you have any examples of how interaction affects student's opinion?
We constanly remind all personel of their role in retention. How we interact on a daily basis greatly affects the students' opinion of the school.
Do you have a personal experience you can share, John?
Very Good point Steve. Retention is everyones job and sometimes even if we are not teaching in a class, asking a student how things are going can make all the difference
That's true, Patricia. What are some of the ways you get everyone involved?
Well said, Florence. How do you make this a reality in your school?
