Sharing
Be a model that Students can relate to,Dont be afraid to make fun of yourself, i have no problem sharing the dumb things i have done over the years.the students love it all and relate to it.
Hi David,
I concur, students enjoy knowing we're "human" too. To hear of our struggles, bloopers and successes can model self-efficacy. However, as an instructor, we also need to know how much we should disclose. I've had some instructors disclose more than I wanted to know and that opened the door to other like disclosures among the students. Sometimes silence really can be golden (o:!
Glad to meet another human!
Lou Anne
Lou Anne,
Again another great point. We have to understand how much we should disclose of our own situtations. I always tell my instructors that they can always have a friend or someone they know who has certian struggles and/or bloopers. This way they can explain their own situations without disclosing too much about themselves.
This is true if the students can see that you yourself have made mistakes and learned from them that they can do so and suceed as well.
I have found that student love to hear "war stories". I have noticed that at times, students cannot relate what's being taught to how it relates to the "real world". By sharing personal experiences, good or bad, it seems to put the lesson into perspective for them.
Mark,
One of the best things about career college faculty is that most of us have "been there." Sharing our personal experiences is a great way to help students internalize the fact that they can do this. It also helps to build positive, mentoring relationships that lead to student success.
