Classroom culture
Students in a class, even if it meets only once per week, should treat each other as a family or support system. I have suggested, not forced, students exchange phone numbers and call each other if they have questions on assignments or just contact each other if they have issues related to school. I also mention that it should be a positive interaction only. This helps students to stay throughout the course and it also helps with interations and positive communication.
I think having students share contact information is an excellent idea. This would be especially helpful for those students who are new to the campus and/or who have trouble meeting new people. I also think using the forum discussion board on the class website encourages dialogue between students and can stimulate some interesting conversation. This has worked well for me in the past, and allows students to express themselves.
Mark,
Agreed! I think pointing this out could also be an incentive; it's an opportunity to network!
Susan Backofen
Many of my students have the same major and will go on and be classmates in other classes as well. This professional bonding experience may develop into an actual ongoing vocational comradery they'll enjoy for possibly decades to come.
I remind students that we are a family and it is important to respect eachouther opinions, values and beliefs even if they do not agree they must learn to connect and get a long because that connection can be a strong support while in school and offer great opportunities after.
I think it's a great idea to point out the networking benefits of being in a classroom situation.
That's right. Everyone is in sales whether among the staff or to a customer. Consider that we produce nothing until someone sells something. We can admire the professional outside sales person because he or she makes the cold calls, to sell the interview, to close one out of ten. We can learn from them the techniques of approaching colleagues and customers effectively to achieve mutually desirable results.
Dale,
Did these students know each other prior to coming in to your class? It sounds as if they had previously had some bad experiences with each other that made them not trust one another.
Susan Backofen
Patrick,
Great point. Sales has such a bad rap in the general public, but we all do it every time we try to persuade someone to do something; including hiring us!
Susan Backofen
I agree about the positive effects of encouraging students to bond with each other. They seem to do much better when the feel they are working as a community than working as individuals. I have a class now that seems resistent to bonding, very suspicious of each other, and a underlying sense of a lack of respect prevades the classroom. This is in contrast to the class before them which bonded very well. I am not sure how to solve some of this as it seems like there is a great deal of personality dynamics involved which is beyond my ability to influence.
I tell all my students that every career is in sales. You may be selling an external customer such as a client OR you may be selling an internal customer such as a colleague or boss. Either way...you need to learn to get on the same page with everyone around you and that starts in the classroom.
I encourage students to work together on many of the projects in my courses. After all, two heads are often better than one.
Class atmosphere is very important. It must be "homey and comfortable"
I agree that students will make lifetime friends in this program.
I agree with this. I am careful to express to students that their classmates will become their professional peers. They can lean on each other for support and exchange ideas. I also explain to them that this does not end at graduation. They will likely cross paths in the workforce as potential co-workers and/or employer/employees.
