“I hate that class, I have the worst teacher, she
never understands.” Most students will feel this way towards a teacher at some point throughout their educational experiences. Children have no interest in learning from teachers they do not like. Typically these are teachers who fail to recognize the value of building positive relationships with students. The importance of knowing your students as learners and as people is fundamental for success.
“They
may forget what you said — but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Carl W. Buehner
Drake,
Reid, and Kolohon (2014) explain curriculum can only be relevant when it
connects to the students interests and experiences. Considering this, if content
material does not resonate with a child, chances are they will have no interest
in learning about it. The profession of teaching is more then just knowing each student by name,
a great teacher is one whom invests themselves in the lives of every student.
Does that student get a good breakfast every morning? Does that student have to
babysit younger siblings after school? Is that student from another country? To
know your students calls for knowledge of their cultural, social and
socioeconomic backgrounds. Once a teacher knows their students, he or she can
refine their lesson plans to incorporate content that is relevant and meaningful.
I was fortunate enough to have a positive relationship with a teacher from my high school who made the effort
to care for every student in and outside of her classroom. My locker was right
beside this teacher’s classroom and everyday she made a habit of asking
students in the hallway “how are you today?” This teacher was aware of
student’s extracurricular activities (whether it was sports, music, dance) and
demonstrated how a simple act of kindness can make a vast difference. Although
I never had the chance to be taught by this teacher, she always made me feel
important, she made me feel like she truly cared. Emma McDonald (2012) in her
article The Secret Weapon: Getting to Know Your Students discusses the importance of teachers taking the time
to build a positive relationship with students. Teachers should schedule time
in their lesson plans to talk to students one on one and further connect with each student as a
unique individual. As an educator, this entails prompting your students to open up to you,
trying to assist them when their upset, but most importantly showing them you care. As
a future educator, I will be questioned, my limits will be pushed and I will
become very angry by students behaviour. At the end of the day, if I am able to demonstrate to students I care for their wellbeing, I will have a greater chance of creating a welcoming and successful learning environment.
In
the following video, educators discuss the importance of getting to know your
students. As a teacher, your educational plan or structure should be modified
on a yearly basis taking into consideration varying interests and needs of students.
When a teacher fails to know the students in their classroom, there is a
greater chance it will be much more difficult to get through a lesson.
Stacey
Goodman (2015) explores the topic of Teaching Through Relationships.This
concept examines the complex social environment in which students and teachers
interact and share experiences that foster healthy learning. As an educator, I
intend to take the time to identify different learning styles within my
classroom and recognize how students social backgrounds can effect learning.
For example, will individuals with certain personalities work better with each
other? Who are friends in the classroom? In taking the time to know my students, I will be more prepared to cope
with problems, be sympathetic to individual needs and promote healthy learning. Teachers need to be willing to take the time and recognize the stories of the
learners themselves.
Similar
to the teacher in my high school, I intend to know my students. I aspire to
show students I truly care what is happening in their lives outside of school. The process of building relationships takes time, patience, commitment and it can most definitely be challenging. However, a teacher who knows their students is the difference between a teacher who is just there to teach the lesson and a teacher that truly cares. We should all strive to be the teacher who cares.
Until
next time,
Rachelle
Rachelle
References
Drake,
S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment:
Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University
Press.
MCDonald, M. (2012). The Secret Weapon: Getting to Know Your Students. Retrieved from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald013.shtml
Goodman, S. (2015). The Importance of Teaching Through Relationships. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/importance-teaching-through-relationships-stacey-goodman
Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on another well done post. Your post was once again quite visually appealing as well as interesting and easy to read, I especially liked your use of the formatting options such as page breaks and hyperlink texts. I found that you made good use of images and videos throughout the post that were both well placed and applicable to your subject matter. I like that you included some examples of things that teachers need to be aware of in their students, but I might suggest including some description of how teachers being aware of these things might affect the students. I also quite liked that you included personal experiences with teachers in your own educational experience, this made me consider my own experiences and question how I have been impacted by teacher caring, or lack thereof. One thing that I suggest you work on is you grammar, as there are a few grammatical errors as well as some sentences that are confusing and oddly phrased. I did however, really like that you incorporated popular quotations that are applicable to the subject of your post.
Once again, well done,
Duff
Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteOnce again I thought that you brought a great personal connection with your blog this week, and you seem to have a very well-developed style to your blogs. Your post was enthusiastic and very clearly written, and your strong closing statements show that you are really writing with a purpose. I thought you did a very good job of explaining the benefits of knowing our students, and I really found your story of your high school experiences was well-connected to your topic. You asked a lot of meaningful questions which the reader might also have interest in, however I would like to see you make more deep connection with the resources available on your topic. I also think it might enhance your argument to examine potential biases teachers have. For example, do teachers cultural backgrounds bias them towards getting to know certain students more than others? Your blog was very well formatted and was visually appealing, but I would also like to see you incorporate images which are more informative or clearly connected to your writing. However, you did a great job of explaining the video you included, and your use of quotations was very appealing. Overall, an excellent job this week, and your blog is really coming along well!
Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteYour post is very insightful, and deals with an important aspect that is not apparent in my classrooms. A teacher is definitely more than a person who stands in front of their class and spouts bits of information, a teacher needs to care and connect with the students. Your use of both professional and personal insights on this topics effectively communicates your attitude toward this subject, as well as its overall importance. I liked how you not only included personal examples of teachers that you felt effectively connected with students, but you also provided examples as to how you would go about connecting with your students. I would also like to comment that your post is very well organized, and the pictures and video nicely support your writing, and are placed well throughout the post to provide good page breaks. Your sourcing and hyperlinks have improved since last week, and it is well written, which makes it better for readers to follow and relate to. One thing I think that would have been good to incorporate however would be the negative attributes of having a personal relationship with your students. Having said that, I will leave you with these question; do you think there is a limit to the personal connections a teacher should have with their student? What are some of the consequences associated with these boundaries? How may a teacher know when not to cross the line? Excellent post and I look forward to your next one!
Alex Graham