Addressing Student Fears
What activities are you currently including in your orientations that address student fears?
We have several members of our faculty that are alumni so getting them to share their stories gives the students a sense of belonging and allows some comfort knowing that the faculty has indeed been where they are.
Tamara,
This is excellent...a longer term program to address student transition and resolving barriers. Great job!
Susan Backofen
I am the Dean of Student at a school that teach massage therapy and esthetics and with Orientation I speak on the affect that our students can have on their future clients through positive touch and how fulfilling that piece is. The team and I also speak on the community that is created in our school.
We always have all of the students introduce themselves and explain what brought them to our school at orientation. It helps us remember them and other students to get to know them. Since we have one orientation for different programs, they not only feel more comfortable within their class but in the library, student lounge, etc...
I am a Program Director and I usually run orientation so that the students feel comfortable with me. I also try to have more of a presence in the classroom during the first week. At the end of the first week, I meet with each student individually to find out how things are going, and if they need anymore support.
During orientation we acknowledge there are fears each individual may have about starting a new chapter in their life. We have found that the first five weeks are usually the most difficult for students; we have devised a system where each week for the first five weeks, a department head meet with new students to gauge their progress, answer questions and address any concerns at that time.
Keisha,
It certainly sounds like you have a wonderful, close-knit and caring campus. Keep up the good work!
Susan Backofen
Rachel ,
Sounds like a wonderful ice breaker!
Susan Backofen
Q and A. They write down any question they have on a 3x5 card and pass it in and then the staff break them up into departments and answer any questions the students have. We also have students in other classes come in and talk to the studets about their experience and we are very open with our stories and struggles to get to where we are today.
When a potential student comes to our campus to enroll our admissions department always asks if there is anything that they are afraid of or worried about. That way they can try and relieve that fear or worry before signing up for the program. To do this they take the enrollee to any particular staff or faculty member that can best help answer any questions or reassure them of how we do things in class to help with that fear. A nice thing about our campus is most of us are graduates from the campus so we can all share our own stories of our worries or fears before we started the program to help them see that they aren’t the only ones who have had those same concerns. It is also a good way for us to give them advise on how to handle or over come the fear. And to start getting to know them before they start the program. Our faculty are also great at making sure they address any fears or concerns they see in class by addressing the student before or after class. And always letting the students know that they are more then welcome to come meet with them any time they are available.
We do an ice breaker right after our welcome from the campus director. It is a bridge between his opening statements and the faculty introductions. We play BINGO. In this version of BINGO the students are given a BINGO card with different things like "has children", "first time in college", and other examples of issues that we know our students face. We have a table full of prizes at the front. The students need to look to their peers, the faculty, and staff to fill their card with signatures. The first several to get their card filled win their choice of school sponsored prizes. It's a great opportunity for students to begin building relationships and get comfortable in their environment.
Shanika,
...and it's a great 'base line' for the instructor to make sure everyone's expectations are aligned.
Susan Backofen
We focus on the assistance we can offer the new student. Let them know that we have tutoring on how to study. Getting them to meeit their, instrucor, program director, and deans. Having them put a face with a name so they know who to look for on campus. We also provide a contact list with names and telephone number with our pictures.
Students are split into groups and then meet with a group of Instructors to discuss expectations and any questions.
My school has former students come in to talk with new students and we also have a get together before they start to meet all the teachers and answer any questions specific to our program. We let them know what will be expected and what they can expect from us as teachers.
One of the activities that I like to incorporate during the first class session is to allow students to tell me what they expect from me as their instructor. I think this gives them a feeling that someone does care about their feelings and concerns. It is also a wonderful icebreaker.
As I indicated in another post, we actively integrate our students by doing 1 on1's, surveys and having a meet and greet with refreshments. We issue them personalized equipment (iPads with their) names etc). This all goes a long way in helping them understand that they are a big part of our future. We insists that all students are called by name on the first day. We also buddy them up with our student Ambassadors.
We have older students as as part of orientation, staff is present, we have ice breakers, and we address it so they know we know how they may be feeling. They need to know they are not alone.
Fatina,
This sounds like a great program of support...student ambassadors, a weekly meeting with the academic advisor and all the handouts. Great job!
Susan Backofen
