By Ronny J. Coleman
Recognizing and rewarding instructors
Back in the “good old days,” there was a simple practice of bringing an apple to school and placing it on the teacher’s desk as a form of recognition and respect. I was reminded of this recently when I found a ceramic apple that had been given to me by a public educators’ group regarding instructional activity in California. As I contemplated the old practice, I began to wonder what its modern counterpart might be.
In your lifetime, you have likely been both a student and an instructor. Which of these two roles do you feel the most comfortable in? Have you ever contemplated the importance of giving feedback to your instructors so they can improve on their performance or rewarding them for a job well done?
Recognition, Reward, Reinforcement
This leads me to a perspective that doesn’t get discussed as often as it should in the context of instructional services: recognition, reward, and reinforcement of instructors. A lot of programs recognize instructors on a local, state, and national basis. Unfortunately, there are very few people who can be recognized when there are a limited number of these types of rewards. I’m referring to the instructors who labor in anonymity yet are critical to quality instructional services. What could we do to support them?
One technique is to have the student evaluate the instructor. I’ll bet you have filled out a few of those evaluations after you have taken classes. On the one hand, this is a desirable practice because it provides you with an opportunity to recognize and reinforce your instructor’s behavior. Conversely, it is meaningless if it is not taken seriously. So the first apple that we can give a teacher is an adequate review supported by specifics. Simply saying thank you is often the only motivation that an instructor needs to remain committed to his instructional activities.
The second means of rewarding instructors is more personal: Make them a card or letter giving positive reinforcement for whatever made their course material extraordinary. I once had a student who sent me such a card almost 10 years after he had taken the course. This is a more personal means of reward and can be taken more deeply than a mere compliment.
No one becomes a fire service instructor expecting to become wealthy from that opportunity. But there are a wide variety of motives as to why someone would continue as an instructor. If your role primarily is that of a student, I would suggest you spend some time assessing the quality of your instructors and begin to provide them with positive reinforcement. If you are an instructor, you might begin to question the quality of feedback you are getting from your students. Are you meeting their needs or are you just going through the motions?
Lastly, if you have a really outstanding instructor, don’t hesitate to nominate him for a regional, state, or national award. Winning such an award is enjoyable, but even being nominated is an honor. Nominating someone for these types of awards often raises his visibility and credibility as an instructor.
Avoid Silence
Silence is not a satisfactory response in any case. The world of being an instructor has changed a lot in the past 25 years. The standup lecturer is being replaced in some cases by technology. However, the role of the teacher still remains. The following is a quote from Sandra Bruce: “In a world of self-paced, self-taught, self-improvement, I’d like to acknowledge the importance of the teacher. Nothing can compare to having someone patiently explain the importance of what a student is learning, demonstrate to him how it’s done, and encourage that student to reach beyond her comfort zone and excel. Technology enhances a teacher’s job, but it will never replace it completely.”
From Good to Great
Good instructors can sometimes become great instructors when they receive positive reinforcement for their performance in the classroom. If you are a student, ask yourself, Who deserves an apple from me today? If you are an instructor, ask yourself if you deserve an apple for that performance. In both cases, the student and the instructor should benefit from such an assessment.
