Eye contact and a smile means everything. I also shake hands with all of my students as they enter my classroom.
I make certain to smile and address every student by name when they enter the classroom. It seems to put them at ease and works well for me.
This is exactly what I do also. I greet my students at the door which shows them I care and at the same time I can see if they are following the dress code rules at the same time.
Yes, if the class is large it takes me a few week to rember all for their names, when i do forget they are always happy to help, i remind them that their is only one of me and 15-20 names to remember and they only have to remember one. Each class i try to give each student about 5 mins of personel time, to ask anything that they won't bring up in class.
Carmella,
What are some specific things you do to make a great first impression at the beginning of a typical class period?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Frank,
Are there things you do during the course of a lesson that also helps you to build rapport?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Jason,
They need to know that we will support them as they face new challenges. Thanks for pointing this out.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Thanks, Laura,
Some teachers believe the stricter they are the better they are. They come accross as mean one in a while. Demanding teachers can and should be respectful toward their students at all times, even when addressing negative behavior. You make a great point here.
Jeffrey Schillinger
By being a professional and yet showing that we are also human too makes our first impressions more relatistic and better to relate to as well.
I think is very important that you show your students respect, that you let them know your expectations and also know their expectations.
By being sure that I portray what their final goal could look like. Being professional, clean, neat, and organized. Looking them in the eye and shaking their hand with confidence.
I always try to make my students aware of the challenges facing them in a new class but to also try to make them as comfortable as possible with those challenges
appearing calm and well prepared on the first day of class
By being happy, confident in what is presented to them, and open to any questions they may have for me as their new instructor. I try to make sure my students know that I am interested and personally invested in their success in my class and beyond. I want them to know that I truly care about their future in the field of dentistry in which I have invested 25 years of my life. I am excited to share with them all the things I have learned from my years of experience and the many hours of continuing education i have invested to better myself in my field.
At the beginning of every new class I take the time to greet each student, I then make sure that I learn each of their names and what they would like to be called in class.
If it is the first time I meet a student I say hello and shake their hand (the same thing I would do to any professional I meet).
If it is a new class I tell the students about my background in the industry and ask them to share alittle about them selves.
Jeff,
Learning names is one of the little things that make a big difference. Thanks for the reminder.
Jeffrey Schillinger
One of the things that I do befor each new class is when I get the roll sheet I go over each name and pratice pronouncing it correctly. If I'm not sure of how to say the name I find an instructor that can help me. I have found that getting a name right can go a long way to making a student feel good about my class. I also have fun with the ones I mispronounce. I'll ask them to say the name and I'll write it phnetically on the white board untill I know it with out looking.
I absolutely agree with everyone that feels that eye contact, smiling, and engaging with the students is a great way to improve first impressions.
I find a "First Impression" to be very stressful. I usually start by looking in the mirror and saying my name with a smile. I try to change my smile a few times to see what makes me look the most friendly. Once I can hold that smile, I start to repeat my name as if I am going to forget it and then I am ready to face the class. I truely have worked on this issue because I want to be professional and approachable at the same time. What I have found to work for me is planning ahead for what I want to do and say so I can relax, it seems to work for me. I have found students to be more relaxed if I am relaxed.
