Jeff--
That is a really excellent observation. While it is more clear sometimes in the classroom, it is important on the job as well. This is also a good point to bring up to them while they are students with us...that focus and dilligence is important in the class and at work.
Susan
I believe there is no difference between managing a successful business and managing a successful class. I try to instill into my students the importance of work ethics here in class and out in the work field.
For example here in class or at their future job a list of work ethics for the instructor/employer might be:
1.To provide a safe work/class environment.
2.To treat everyone with dignity and respect.
3.To provide a fair wage/grade for services/assignments rendered.
4.To handle all transactions with integrity and honesty.
A list of work ethics for students or employees might be:
1.To show up class/work on time.
2.To tend to company business/class work for the whole time while at work/class.
3.To treat the company’s/class resources, equipment and products with care.
4.To give respect to the company/class. That means honesty and integrity
We run our lab just like a shop with the many of the same expectations they would have placed on them in the field, I tell them that I am the Service Manager and to think of the cars as real customers vehicles. So the similarities there are clear.
The class room is a very different situation, but you can still draw many parallels in how the student is taught to handle professionalism, attendance, communication skills, etc…
There are a lot of similarities. One that comes to my mind is the state of mind of a worker and also a student. While I was in charge of a garage, and also when I supervised in a factory setting. I saw that you had to work hard at keeping minds active and individuals engaged in their work. The class is not any different!
Kenneth--
Absolutely correct! Students are our product. Our reputation depends on a quality graduate who is prepared. That means a lot and goes to the 'credibility' discussion in this course.
Susan
I think they are very close, remember the students are a product of our school, the better the product, the better experiance for the customers that use our products so with that said keeping our product inline with customers demands, its a win win.
Excellent point about treating students as professionals. They are learning, but I believe treating them as they will be on the job better prepares them and they tend to rise to the occassion
I think there are similarities between running a business and running a classroom. One of the similarities is the importance of time management in order to get the best product outcome. Goals must be set and there must be a systematic process in order to achieve those goals in both business and classroom management.
I also thing there is a big difference in running a business oppose to a classroom and that is a classroom environment must be one on learning and nurturing. Out in the field there is little room for error oppose to the classroom. But I would also hope that students are aware of consequences for errors that are not such a big deal in the classroom but would be in the field.
Chuck--
Great analogy! Keeping school related to the work place is a great motivator.
Susan
Brian--
You make great points and one that I think we often over look...the much larger gratifaction we get when our students 'get it'. In business, we can see happy customers, but there is something very special about seeing the light bulb come on in our students.
Susan
I feel that many simularities exsist. One I use to help the student understand the importance of the shop skills is grades compared to CSI in the shop I will explain that thier grade is their CSI rating for the class, and shops will look at their CSI ratings to determine if they are employable both from the point of being a student and a potential tchnician. They will also trck their CSI as they progress in their job, this can lead to improved pay or positions in the shop envioroment.
Three things I tell my students on the first day is to be here on time,stay awake and pay attension, and to do their on labs. The majority of the test questions are from hands-on activities.
they both are very close to the same, except that in the class environment they get to lear n from thier mistakes and you can help them change bad habits before they become bad skillsets.
Success I feel is measured the same. Does that mean we as good instructors could manage a business,easy for some but not all. I feel to manage a business there are more behind the scene stuff that takes place that we do not see. Which may be a huge challenge. I personally feel more confident about being successful as a instructor versus managing a business. As a instructor when I acomplish a challenge with a student I feel really good. A business manager I feel would feel the same if he or she acomplished a task that they worked hard to get too.
In both cases being successful is the goal. In the class room the students are our product and we need to produce the very best.In the business world dont we realy do the same thing?
Terry--
Great analogy. In fact, to stay on the car theme, we used to call every negative interaction with students a 'dent'. We only take so many dents before we trade it in. If students are 'dented' to much, they trade US in by leaving!
Susan
I think success is measured the same for both.the similarity is with my class I am producing a technician, a product,for industry.Individual, as well as classroom management of a class is vital, I see it the same as managing a business. For my class to succeed I myself must succeed,as a leader and as an instructor. I expect alot from my students and I let them know this.I lead by example.
They both have much in common,people skills are needed to succeed in both as well as knowing your service or product. In business you are selling a product or service in our case we are selling an education.
Steve,Ifeel class is a business and in both you will have Success and Failure.... You must learn from both.. I let students know life is full of up/downs analize both the good and bad and learn from it daily..
Is critical to managment the class as a real work place
