I deal with students farther along in their program so the fear factor is over and done by the time I get them. Thanks to no child left behind we now deal with the "entitlement generation". My orientation is more based on expectations, both what they can expect from myself and more importantly what I expect from them. There is no fear of failure and in some cases they act like failure is something to be proud of. I expect my students to be in class everyday,study and go over material on their own time, and realize that they are responsible for their own actions. From me they can expect that I will come prepared for class everyday and be there every day. I also make myself available before or after class every day for those that need additional help.
Stanely--
This is a great idea. I think having these discussions so everyone can learn is wonderful. Many times other students can offer some excellent advice and also be great emotional resources.
Susan
J--
After students have been there a while, the fatigue sets in. If you are near the end, then you have 'senioritis' to deal with. Do you have any specific techniques to keep students engaged?
Susan
there are some common fears that students share;however there are some unique.I ask the students if there is something interfering with their learning experience that is out of the norm.We share experiences and gain from all.
To help address the student fear of the class, it may take some one on one conversations with the student to help dicover what the fears may be . And if you can help the student or guide him to the right person.
The classes I teach are advanced diagnostic classes. The student have met a number of
pre-requisites prior to entry in my classes. Fear is not really a factor. I do try to make my students comfortable in my classes.
Susan,
During our course introduction of advance electronics we reinforce what they should have learned in their previous courses and allow them to schedule times to have one on ones if they feel their understanding is unclear.
Well in Orientation, I share with them a littel about me, single mother, was on sec 8 foodstamps after my divorce and I struggled. (summing it up here) I go intothe fact I don't know what they are going through if they dont' give us a heads up. If you are drowning you need to wave your hands so we can throw you a life life...while you are drwoing NOT after. We also do a mixer at the beginning. This helps for them to see fellow students and instructors as human and we all have things in common. Puts them at ease a bit.
Donald--
Sounds like a great agenda and well thought-out. I really like the interaction activities and the inclusion of faculty and students.
Susan
Our New Student Orientations(NSO)are generally held on the Saturday before the first day of the term. Our goals include:
--bonding the students to one another;
--bonding the students to their instructors;
--bonding the students and their families to the institution;
--confirming preparation for the first day.
We accomplish these goals through the presence of term one instructors, department heads, and school leadership members; cooking demonstrations for family members; tours for all led by students; introductions to student-facing departments; icebreaker activities with classmates; question and answer sessions with student council members; and delivery of final equipment necessary for day one. We manange so that the day is comfortable in length and varied in activity.
LE--
This is really awesome! Excellent process.
Susan
In our Orientation Process:
1) Students are invited to a welcome breakfast reception - This helps them to begin to meet classmates and to get a feel for the school.
2) Students are given a Tour of the facility to help them become familiar and to associate services with locations.
3) In a general meeting all faculty members are introduced and students introduce themselves.
4) The Faculty then have a short meetings by department with new students to begin the process of getting to know them and discussing the objectives of the program and discussing student expectations.
5) Finally, students are encouraged to meet with Faculty members 1:1 after the session to begin to build potential mentoring relationships.
At our orientations, we typically have several Department Chairs, Lead Instructors, Instructors, Deans, VP of Academics, and school President in attendance in order to ease student fears. With prominent school figures addressing incoming students, the level of anxiety is somewhat eased - the incoming students now have a name with a face, as well as contact info. We also address the services of various departments and their locations/contacts.
A hand-off from the admissions to the education department. They meet all the Deans, have lunch, see a demonstration by a Dean or Faculty member, tour the campus and have a question and answer period.
James--
Excellent practice for the real world! It is very common to work in teams to resolve issues.
Susan
Nora--
This sounds like an excellent practice! Having the department chairs go in to classes and spend some time with students and outline the available services is great!
Susan
many of my students have fears of not comprehending the new material. many know nothing about automobiles at all. I let them know i will work with them after class, and put them in groups with others that have some knowledge of the subject matter.I stress team work, and everybody helps one another.
Our new student orientations are Saturdays before classes start Monday. Each dept is represented, textbooks and uniforms are distributed, there is breakfast buffet at the beginning and a snack at the end. Student volunteers act as group leaders guiding new students around the campus.
We do provide each new student with a newsletter, it includes Tips to success; Answers to Frequent Q; Student Services staff pictures with office numbers and phone numbers.
I want to say thank you, from reading the previous forum answers I realize I could, and WILL, include additional helpful information both to enlighten and address fears.
During the first week of each new start, our school's department chairs visit the students in class and let them know of the services available to them such as tutoring, registrar services, skills enhancement, library services etc
Darryl--
This sounds like a real team effort! I especially like the current student/alumni involvement.
Susan
