by Kim Anderson, Professional Learning Specialist
STANDARD #5: Creating a Positive Classroom Learning Environment
Quality Indicator #1: Classroom management, motivation, and engagement
One of the biggest predictors of success and achievement for any given student is how motivated and engaged he is in his own learning. As educators, we all know the best way to engage and motivate students is by building a positive relationship with them. How might you build a positive relationship and rapport with your students? Here are some strategies you might find useful as you embark on your journey to strengthen your teacher-student relationships:
1) Start the day with purpose.
Begin each day using
language and questions to illicit high level thinking and relationship
building. While the conversation should seem natural and casual to the students,
it should actually be very intentional and specific. Preplan what might be high
interest and let the students engage in conversation in a purposeful,
structured way.
2) Help students and parents get to know you.
Open the lines of communication and establish a relationship with students and their families by writing a letter. Share your summer experience, past education, goals for the year, etc. If the first of the year has come and gone without this type of communication, don’t fear! You can still establish a great relationship by keeping the lines of communication open with phone calls, emails, and notes home to parents on a regular basis. Make a point to let parents know the great things their students are learning and doing in your classroom. The parents will thank you, and the impact this has on students will last the entire year through!
Open the lines of communication and establish a relationship with students and their families by writing a letter. Share your summer experience, past education, goals for the year, etc. If the first of the year has come and gone without this type of communication, don’t fear! You can still establish a great relationship by keeping the lines of communication open with phone calls, emails, and notes home to parents on a regular basis. Make a point to let parents know the great things their students are learning and doing in your classroom. The parents will thank you, and the impact this has on students will last the entire year through!
3) Examine and improve nonverbal communication.
Body language and tone of voice can
drastically affect how a student perceives his relationship with you. Be sure
to teach with an open posture that is welcoming and non-threatening. Make sure
to keep an open body posture—hands at your sides and not crossed or clenched.
If a student is much smaller than you, be sure to match their height by leaning
down or sitting next to them while conversing. When speaking be mindful of your
tone, cadence and volume.
A few other thoughts you might want to
consider are that your leadership style can be in line with a CEO. A CEO’s role
is not a dictatorship. It is a collaboration between many minds. Because you
are a collaborative group you can feel free to embrace your students’ individuality.
When you do this well, you naturally create a community within your class. Your
class is made up of a family of learners and each person plays their part.
As much as you put forth effort trying to get
to know your students, you will also want to let your students get to know a
part of you. Try to remain open and vulnerable. What do you like to do outside
of the classroom? Why do you enjoy teaching? Share a little piece of yourself
with your students. When you take the time to get to know each other, your
students are far more likely to take time to work hard and engage in learning.
No matter what strategies you decide to
implement to develop relationships with students, you can rest assured your
students will notice your efforts! The biggest payoff will be seeing your
students’ confidence and achievement grow. In the words of Dale Carnegie, “You
can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than
you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you.”