Get Your Students Hired
How much information and back ground do you tell students about yourself. And does it include personal information? Whats the limit?
I'm in agreement with you, its good to have a balance. It really does show the human side of us as an instructor and helps the student to feel more at ease.
have the students share a bit of back ground. Then, I share my personal & profesional back ground of about myself
Hi Patrick,
I like your approach. I always like to hear about other peoples' careers. This gives me a perspective on how I can learn from them. I know your students feel the same way.
Gary
Because of my age and the fact that I teach a class on the music industry, students think that I'm too old to understand their music.
As a result, I start my classes with a broad overview of my career from musician to record producer to record label owner, etc. as well as anecdotal info on musicans that they are familiar with. This generally breaks the ice for a new class.
Hi Mahmoud,
Your comments about sharing information in general about yourself are good. You want to share some but not too much about yourself and why you are an instuctor.
What do you consider the most important reason for sharing personal information with your students?
Gary
The limit of information you can give about yourself will vary depending on the age group of your students and the teacher age. As I am teaching at college, I convey to students that once upon a time I was a student too and I share with them the fact that my son and daughter are currently at college. This message bring them closer, as they learn of my awareness of what they go through.
Hi Laina,
You make a good point. Sensitive and perceptive educators read their students and then offer information and support in a way that meets their individual needs. As an instructor that is typically younger that her students you are doing the right thing by establishing yourself as a professional that is qualified to teach the course. You are creating a framework from which you can operate that will help your students see you as educator that has the experience and knowledge to help them with their career goals.
Gary
Hi Bruce,
I think you should share personal as well as professional information. By sharing both you help to create for yourself the fact that you are “humanâ€. This also helps create rapport with your students. The key is knowing how much information to share. You share as much information as is comfortable for yourself without boring your students with all of the trials and successes of your life. The professional sharing establishes you as an expert and someone that is capable of teaching the course.
As for core values, I think you need to set a standard that you expect from your students. I push professionalism very hard in my classes. This is based upon the type of work I want the student to produce and in what format. This is part of the model, manager, motivator model. You set the standard and model it.
Gary
I am in a sort of odd situation because I am younger than about half of my students. I feel as if I need to really impress upon my students what my educational background is and I avoid talking too much about my personal life because of the big age difference.
As a teacher of language and communication skills I think it would be difficult not to open up and reveal personal information, at least as far as interests and background go, as well as previous work experience. I am the teacher and don't feel I have to be one of them, as in not having to share their interests in, say, music, television, and recreational interests.
I also think it is important to expose some of my core values. This might be different if I were in a scientific or business setting.
Bruce Crissinger
Hi Kathleen,
No matter whether you are a beginning post secondary student or a returning career mature student, having an opportunity to share a bit about yourself is important. Your approach is a good one. A bit of professional and personal information allows you establish yourself as a creditable professional that is human. Keep it up.
Gary
Hello, Gary and All!
I find that the first day of class is a good time to go around the room and have the students share a bit of information (briefly) about themselves. Then, I share a bit of information about myself. This lends a sense of rapport to the classroom. I give a bit of my professional background and some of my personal background (not in great detail). We all feel a bit more human, and ready to tackle the work at hand once the ice has been broken.
Hi James,
The key to sharing information is having a comfort level for yourself. You can share information that will inspire and challenge your students so they will be motivated to continue in the program. Also, you can share information that will show them what kind of contributor they want to be in their field. Part of this information can be personal, to show you as a human being and part professional to show yourself as a model.
A key point is not to get to the point that your stories are seen as fillers and you become an old timer that can only talk about the past. I call these teachers, “drifters†meaning that they drift from one story to another without any real reason for the story.
Gary
I also teach massage. Because it involves touch, it takes extra vigilance for therapists/teachers to maintain professional boundaries. I have never had second thoughts about saying little, but have occasionally wondered if I've revealed too much.
Hi Melissa,
Great approach to making yourself a part of the learning formula for your students. Yes, we are all humans with our respective strengths and weaknesses, sometimes our students forget this.
By showing our students that we want them to succeed through our help we become foundational to their learning. They know they can call upon us, as well as ask questions without the fear of feeling inadequate.
As the old saying goes “We are all in this together.†We as instructors want our students to succeed and the students want to succeed in order to achieve their career goals.
Gary
I believe you need a BALANCE. I want my students to feel comfortable and at ease when they respond to a question or comment. Sometimes, if you seem out-of-their-reach, you will eliminate some students from taking steps toward a better future; out of fear. I find that if they realize I am "Human", they are more likely to come to me with questions and/or concerns.
Hi Donna,
Thank you for your input on the professional aspects of teaching. What are the steps you go through to establish yourself as a professional that should be respected by your students?
I can appreciate your comment about not being there to “be a friend†to your students but to gain their professional respect. I have found that I do try to be a professional friend to my students and have had great results with this effort. The key is that I am not trying to be nor will I be a “buddy†to them. I will be a professional friend that they can call upon for references, advice, and support when they have successfully completed my class(s). By doing this I am able to call upon them when they are out in the field to come into my classes a guest speakers and as potential employers.
Gary
I only give professional information about myself, I teach massage and I only give my professional credits and experiences. I feel that I am not their to become a friend ,but to establish professional respect and inspiration for their needs.
Hi Shannon,
From your forum comments it appears that you have arrived at a very comfortable balance between your personal and professional life in terms of how much you will share with your students. As evidenced from your experiences your students do not abuse this information. I would attribute it to your professional competence and approach to your students. You are to be commended for setting a most professional stage from which you can operate to develop respect for and with your students.
Gary