Blog 4 Assignment

This week’s lesson focused on being relational as a teacher. What does this mean, you ask? Well, simply put, being relational as a teacher means connecting with your students in a positive manner and thereby establishing a positive relationships. Until the students have this positive relationship with the teacher, they will not focus. As a result, if children do not focus, they will not learn in the classroom.

There are several ways I plan to interact with my students to accomplish this. I plan to communicate positive expectations. By communicating positive expectations, as opposed to negative ones, children will be much more receptive to learning and even me. For example: “This will be an exciting class, and you are going to have the most memorable year you have ever had; as a result, you will do very well,” sounds much better to students than, “No one in this class will earn an A. I will make the work too hard for you to do.” Students who are intimated by the teacher’s demeanor from the get-go will not want to create a positive relationship with that teacher; the students will ultimately dread coming to class and being around the teacher.

Another way I would like to facilitate a positive relationship with my students is by displaying their work around my classroom. It will show them that I care about their work and take pride in it. Ultimately, it shows that I care about them. Showing an interest in their personal lives, listening to them, and empathizing with students are another way to show that I care about them as people. Caring ultimately builds rapport with them as well. Questions about the students’ personal lives could involve the hobbies or recent trips they took.

Lastly, while there are many, many ways to build a positive relationship with my students, having fun with the students in the classroom is one of the most important (in my opinion). If they feel I am too serious all the time, this may become intimidating to them. Intimidation could cause retreat and they may not learn as well as they could.

Overall, positive relationships between students and teachers are incredibly important if classroom and school success is to be achieved.