Excitement, fearful, happy, nervousness, are some of the emotions that students and teachers alike will be feeling on the first day of school! Whether starting a new school for the first time or well-experienced in going back to school, everyone has a mixture of feelings surrounding that important return to school! Why? Because of the many unknowns along with high expectations that we place upon ourselves.
BACK TO SCHOOL
The night before the first day of school I struggle to sleep. As a teacher some of the things that I wonder about are my students, what are they like? Will they enjoy their year. I wonder about my activities, are they engaging? Is everything prepared? As a parent I wonder about my young daughters, will they make new friends? Will they enjoy their learning?
STUDENT CONNECTIONS
Teachers have an almighty responsibility of building strong student connections, in order to maximize students’ academic, social and emotional development throughout the year. When strong relationships are formed a culture of mutual trust and respect is created. This is highly beneficial for all, as students become eager and excited to learn and teachers feel appreciated and driven to provide a learning environment that pushes the boundaries.
There are a number of strategies that teachers will use to build connections in their classroom. The best teachers adapt throughout the school year so that healthy relationships are maintained.
TOP-10 RELATIONSHIP BUILDING STRATEGIES
1. Learn personal aspects and interests
By learning something personal about your students, it enables you to maximize your engagement with them. With student interests known, you can incorporate them into your learning program and find a deeper level of connection that goes outside of the teaching curriculum.
2. Be Passionate
Be enthusiastic about teaching, passionate about your subject content and know your why!
When you show your passion for teaching through the topics you teach and your delivery approach, it will captivate your audience and allow your students to be more engaged. When a person is clearly passionate about something and understands their purpose, it’s hard to ignore.
3. Be Vulnerable
Build trust by showing vulnerability. This allows students to know it’s ok to make mistakes and that they can learn from them. Providing experiences with learning opportunities in the classroom, demonstrates a growth pattern and builds trust with your students.
4. Crack a joke now and then
This again allows your students to feel more relaxed and not take the learning and themselves too seriously. It shows you're comfortable with them and they in turn will be comfortable with you. Laugh with them, smile lots and enjoy the work that you do. When they see you enjoying it, your students will enjoy it too.
5. Safety
All students must feel safe with you and their learning environment. Safety is provided by gaining and maintaining your students trust, whilst adhering to your responsibilities as a teacher. When students feel safe, you and their classroom environment become a trusted place where they feel free to express themselves, take risks and confide in you and one another.
6. Tell a story
Incorporating personal stories or experiences into students learning allows you to be more relatable and promote a greater connection.
7. Expectations
Having high expectations for each of your students is very important. Being open and honest with them about these expectations allows the student to follow suit with high expectations of themselves.
8. Celebrate successes
Celebrate the accomplishments and struggles of your students, on a 1:1 basis or as a whole class. It’s important that your students are celebrated so that they feel successful and ultimately understand that they are important. Simple acknowledgements will make them feel like they matter.
9. Explore Ideas
Children sometimes have the best out-of-the box ideas. By incorporating your students ideas and exploring their alternative approaches, your students will feel an important connection between you, them and their work.
10. Ownership
Take responsibility for your shortcomings and mistakes. Leading by example in this way, shows your students how you handle situations. As their role-model, they will be looking up to you, therefore it’s important that you show them how to take ownership and deal with tough situations.
A mixture of these strategies at appropriate times throughout the year, will enable you to maximize engagement with your students and promote a happy, positive learning environment.
It’s important to understand that strong student connections are not built over night. Lots of time and effort needs to be invested in creating and maintaining healthy relationships.
SUPPORT
Are you looking to create and maintain stronger relationships with your students and would like to be supported in achieving this? Why not book some TruTeach Teacher Coaching sessions?
Contact us today to arrange your free consultation by completing our contact form or phoning 1-587-625-8510 !
It’s FREE for teachers to access!
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