This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Open Mic
I teach in a small rural town and resources are not very plentiful for my students. Before I became the Health Care Science Instructor, my students were not exposed to a lot of different health care settings or opportunities in health care. There is one nursing home located in the area and because the school has not had a strong presence there, the acceptance of students has not gone over very well. I have worked hard this semester to change this perception but there are still a lot of hurdles to overcome. I understand that it will take some time to establish my program and get the community support we need for the students to be successful. I am hopeful that this year will set the tone for years to come, but if anyone has any suggestions or past successes I would love to draw from your experiences.
Hi, Janet - one of your biggest assests in creating and maintaining positive and deep community involvement is you. Your friendly and professional attitude should be well-received throughout your area, but the down side is that you will have to be the front person on community relations for awhile.
ReplyDeleteAs time goes on and the quality of your program is accepted, your students can then assume some of the spotlight and run with it. Place your best students out front and do everything with an eye on building positive perceptions of your students and program, because, unfortunately, you know what most people think about high school students. Once your program's reputation gets established, success and access will increase over time, and the occasional bump from a student 'mistake' will be taken in stride by the community. But you are your program's secret weapon - don't keep yourself secret - go get 'em!