March 9
Do you care about me?
That is a question many students ask themselves first before they are willing to care about what you have to say. The ability to be an effective teacher starts with relationships. You cannot inspire a student or arouse the desire to learn within students until you have developed a rapport with them. Teacher effectiveness is strongly coupled with the ability to reach across cultural, socio-economic, and interrelation boundaries.
But how do you know if the boundaries are there? You must go beyond calling roll. You have to get to know why they are tired, why they did not do their homework or why they responded the way they did. This does not excuse inappropriate behavior, but it is about developing a relationship in order to guide the student in the correct direction. The “conventional student” and “conventional situation” does not exist anymore.
The result is that teachers need to learn more about student as individuals. Students who feel their teachers care about them respond in the classroom. They work more successfully with classmates and when problems do arise you have the understanding to address it effectively. Students work more industriously in order to do their best work because they want to perform for someone who cares about them. When students believe they are supported, appreciated, and respected, they achieve at higher levels.
Take time to know your students’ interests in sports, hobbies, clubs, favorite movies or music and views. Formulating relationships may not be on the pacing guide or on your list of standards but when students have confidence in their teacher’s belief in them they will knock down barriers that stand between them and success. Then they will begin to stretch themselves to maximize their potential.
“The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become.” - Harold Taylor
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