Getting to know one personal item about the student. let them know that you are here for them to teach, guide & help direct to to proper dept. or person as needed. Be available to just listen to their aspirations & hopes for the future and give them encouragement
1. I will work every day at making class content interesting and relevant.
2. I will actively solicit suggestions from the class for drills and other practice material and urge students to bring recorders to class for home practice.
3. I have a good rapport with the more out-going students in class, but I will reach out to the quieter ones and try harder to establish a relationship.
Jason, occasional team attendance competitions can be quite effective, but students may tire of them if done every academic period. Or worse, they may shun students who have poor attendance. Do you allow for "approved" absences like doctor's appointments?
Loren Kroh
Follow up on all situations (positive & negative). We tend to (or I've witnessed) student complaints with what seems to be a resolution. I notice we tend not to follow up when the student doesn't come back assuming it's been rectified because they're still attending. Daily clearance meetings with instructors & teaching assistants - these quick meetings would entail how the class went, any concerns, etc. Making a board with all of administations photo, name & department. This will help with point of contact and establishing relationships.
Hello Professor Kroh,
Let me first begin by saying that I am really enjoying this course and have learned so much along the way!
The firt step I will be taking to improve retention is to continue and make phone calls each time a student is absent. I can't tell you how much this means to them when you are taking the time out of your day to find out why they couldn't be in class. It makes them feel important and 9 times out of 10 they come back to class the next day.
The second step I plan on taking is trying to incorporate the team work aspect of my class better so the students can encourage each other to come to class each and every day. I feel that the positive re-inforcement from each other goes a lot further than when it is coming from the instructor. Sometimes they need to hear it from someone else in order for the point to resinate. I was even thinking about having a friendly team competition. Maybe the group who has the best overall attendance at the end of the block would get a special award or prize.
The third step I will take is to break down the barriers that often exist between departments. The entire institution is responsible for the overall success of the student. Everyone needs to be involved to ensure that the student will succeed and graduate. From admissions, to career services, the President's office and beyond; I feel that everyone needs to communicate with each other concerning the status of our students.
Maybe a student has a speical bond with their admissions rep and the best way to help them is to get that person involved.
The personal connections we make on a daily basis helps to retain retention. If we can reach them on a personal level shows them we actually are taking an unterest in their lives as well as school.
How did the suggestion box work out?
1. Include study skills and stress management skills in all first-quarter classes.
2. Create more opportunities for students to feel like they belong in the college community, both inside and outside of class.
3. Create a trainig session with admissions and academic departments to make sure both departments are on the same page.
Develop a relationship with the student at the very beginning of the program.
Follow-up with them at least once every two weeks to ensure they do not need assistance
Praise and give advise to students on a regular basis.
spend more time learning about my students, have more open discussions, be a student advocate
Keep positive.
Get to know my students and let them know that I care,
Make them feel welcome.
The only time I have to make a call to the student(s) is when my instructor is out on leave or a number has been disconnected and the instructor do not have any other contact. My instructors perform well on this task, because in my stand up meetings, this issue is discussed and they will receive a write up on their daily tasks.
There are not too many students (Maybe 15-20)when I first became Program Director in 2010; but now only 3 - 5(if that many) that I have to advise on a weekly basis. ANd the one that not on SAP report is doue to classroom behavior. Our retention has really improve and that is great.
Spend more time tutoring with the students.
Work to build a stronger student instructor relationship that lets the student that they welcome in the class.
Make sure that the students know that their education is important to me and the school.
Tara, the advice column sounds like a good idea, but it will require commitment. If you don't respond quickly when a student makes an entry or don't change generic postings it will quickly loss credibility.
Loren Kroh
Christella, how many times do you have to make the call to the student instead of the instructor making it? At what point do you talk with the instructor about their failure to follow up with the student?
Loren Kroh
Christella, how many students are on weekly reporting? That sounds like a major commitment. How do they get off?
Loren Kroh
I think the suggestion box is a great idea. Also would like to see how possible it will be to integrate a portion of our web-based portal with an advice column so to speak where students can ask a question or explain a troublesome situation anonymously. I will discuss with our student success coordinator and portal admins. Additionally, I would like to see more student activities on campus...maybe institute a few dress down days that are fun and give the students a break from the day to day...crazy hat day or something to that effect. I also liked the idea of the student satisfaction surveys that differ from the typical end-of-term faculty evals.
Continue to work the daily Last Day of Attendance (LDA) Report and call students if the instructor did not call them from being absent from class and see what I can do to assist them in any way.
My instructors perform all of your steps (Qadar Ahmed)because I verify with a checklist on the first day that each instructor who is teaching for the module has to turn the form in to me at the end of his/her class. And of course, if a student is absent from class it is the instructor's repsonsibility to ensure that notes are written in the portal - I verify this also with my LDA report. IT WORKS.
