Attention vs Retention
I have found that many times the very things our faculty and staff want to hold our students accountable for, they arent doing themselves. I have often told my Department Chairs that they are the faces of their particular program and that the students they teach will take on the personality of their leader. It is the paying attention to detail that allows us to find the needle in the hay stack.
Bob,
As simple as your advise is, you would be suprised how often teachers forget this important step. Thanks for sharing.
I have found that by informing the students "what's in it for them." They are more likely to pay attention, have a better retention of what you just covered and be more involved w/the lecture.
Absolutely, Kenny. Students are here for the example of role models as much as for the information. I always made sure I had a "mentor" when I was in school, someone in my field who I wanted to model myself after. I think most of our students do this, too, regardless of whether they tell us about it.
Thanks, Taffy. This is well-said.
I agree. I have always felt that as faculty we should always lead by example. I never expect something from my students that I can not do myself. If it is required of them, I motify my behavior to follow their guidelines. We are mentors and that responsibility, whether defined in a job description or not, should always be followed.
Well said, Kenny. We have to always be aware that students are looking to us. People pay much more attention to what we do than what we say. They pay more ateention to how we say something than they do to the words we say.
Negative staff and faculty can do a lot of damage to an institution. The Pacific Institute teaches that it takes 11 positive people to make up for one negative person.
