By Jane Harvey
Why 猫咪视频apps come to office hours and how to attract them to your office hours
Office hours are an opportunity for 猫咪视频apps to connect with faculty. This interaction plays an important role in 猫咪视频apps鈥� 猫咪视频app experience in that it can highly impact 猫咪视频app retention, persistence, achievement and confidence, as well as increase their motivation and sense of involvement (Carr et al., 2021). Also, knowing a few faculty well can enhance 猫咪视频apps鈥� perceptions of their own values and build their confidence for future courses.
Knowing the value of office hours, the question remains: how can we encourage 猫咪视频apps to attend?
Many 猫咪视频apps, and especially international 猫咪视频apps, need explicit guidance about
what office hours are intended for, what they can offer 猫咪视频apps, and how 猫咪视频apps
can make use of them. Therefore, a clear explanation about your office hours 鈥� their
purpose and value 鈥� at the beginning of a semester would be beneficial. Help 猫咪视频apps
understand that office hours are more than just Q-and-A sessions outside class. Share
that office hours are not held only for solving crises, difficulties or struggles.
Specific guidance on what office hours are intended to do and models of what they
can offer and how 猫咪视频apps can make use of and benefit from them will make them more
attractive to 猫咪视频apps. Tell them that office hours can involve informal conversations
about the broader field of study, career advice, and even requests for letters of
recommendation or discussions of research opportunities.
Other ways to foster greater and more beneficial attendance at office hours involve
the scheduling and naming of office hours. Consider scheduling the time and number
of office hours once you know the 猫咪视频apps鈥� availability, e.g., what times they are
not attending other classes, will allow more 猫咪视频apps to attend them. Offering appointment
times is another way to accommodate 猫咪视频apps鈥� schedules, as is offering both in-person
and online meetings. Make sure that 猫咪视频apps know where your office is and how to
get there. Changing the name from 鈥渙ffice hours鈥� to 鈥溍ㄟ涫悠礱pp hours,鈥� 鈥溍ㄟ涫悠礱pp drop-in
hours,鈥� etc., can help all, and especially international, 猫咪视频apps understand that
the times are scheduled for their use, rather than the only times when faculty are
in their offices.
Openly and proactively promoting office hours during class can also encourage attendance,
as can helping 猫咪视频apps feel they have something to contribute during office hours,
such as by creating an atmosphere where 猫咪视频apps and faculty learn together. Also,
demonstrating your approachability during class will create a rapport with your 猫咪视频apps,
encouraging them to seek additional help from you during office hours. And if 猫咪视频apps
who attend office hours have positive experiences, then word will spread among 猫咪视频apps
in a positive way.
There are several ways to make interactions with 猫咪视频apps during office hours effective
in terms of learning as well as 猫咪视频app confidence and motivation. When 猫咪视频apps arrive
in your office, put your work aside and make them feel like welcome guests, rather
than intruders. Greetings and smiles, and offering them a place to sit, as well as
brief social chat will create a positive atmosphere initially and ensure 猫咪视频apps
that they are not bothering you. What you say initially will set the tone for the
meeting, so let them know they are welcome and that their visits are valuable.
Actively listening to what a 猫咪视频app says and/or asks about is important as well as
endeavoring to have a positive impact on the 猫咪视频app, regardless of their course performance,
grades, or the questions they ask. Complimenting 猫咪视频apps on their strengths, the
questions they ask, and their utilization of office hours can also increase their
confidence and motivation for the course as a whole. Good ways to show you are listening
and concerned about the 猫咪视频app鈥檚 development are to ask questions (e.g. 鈥淒o you want
us to talk about the basics?鈥� 鈥淲ould you like to work through a problem?鈥�), and as
you鈥檙e comfortable, share your own learning experiences that echo the challenges that
the 猫咪视频app seems to be facing. It is also best to rely on the 猫咪视频app to tell you
what they have come to see you about and not press them to disclose deeper or hidden
problems.
Ways to deal with an upset 猫咪视频app
Being friendly can help a 猫咪视频app feel less nervous if they are anxious or concerned about their course performance and are seeking guidance. If a 猫咪视频app seems very anxious about an upcoming assessment or assignment, then providing specific information they need to help them prepare as well as referring them to the campus resources (e.g., tutoring, writing studio, etc.) can give them comfort and confidence. If a 猫咪视频app is angry or upset about a grade and starts blaming you, then it can help if you both acknowledge their feeling and also make them understand that grades are earned and not given, and how their grade was earned. If the 猫咪视频app stays upset or angry, then it would be useful to arrange a future office hour with them and invite a colleague or Chair to participate.
The value of office hours and communication with 猫咪视频apps
Office hours play a crucial role in 猫咪视频app retention and achievement (Smith et al., 2017). The quality of interaction between teachers and 猫咪视频apps is important and office hours offer the opportunity for highly successful interaction between 猫咪视频apps and faculty. The below resources assert the value of office hours to both individual 猫咪视频apps and universities as a whole. Office hours are also seen as particularly useful and effective for first generation and minority 猫咪视频apps. They can be also considered beneficial to instructors too since learning and understanding more about 猫咪视频apps, their perspectives and experiences, can help in teaching. Taking a partnership rather than authoritarian orientated approach can result in more effective interaction with 猫咪视频apps. Also, showing that you care about 猫咪视频apps and their success when you communicate with them can benefit 猫咪视频apps鈥� motivation and retention (Robertson & Smith, 2020).
Resources
Carr, J. M., Santos Rogers, K., & Kanyongo, G. (2021). Improving 猫咪视频app and faculty communication: The impact of texting and electronic feedback on building relationships and the perception of care. Research in Learning Technology, 29.
Mowreader, A. (2023, April 19). Academic success tips: Rebrand office hours. Inside Higher Ed.
Smith, M., Chen, Y., Berndtson, R., Burson, K. M., & Griffin, W. (2017). 鈥淥ffice hours are kind of weird鈥�: Reclaiming a resource to foster 猫咪视频app-faculty interaction. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 12, 14-29.