5.1 2A Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport.   There are many elements that factor into a teacher having a successful year.  Creating an environment that welcomes each student and says this is a place where the student is valued and respected, as well as, a place where learning will happen is critical. In the book “The First Days of School” Harry and Rosemary Wong maintain that “effective teaching is all about teacher-student relationships” (pg. 68). Therefore, it’s crucial that teachers establish a positive partnership with students right from the start. As teachers we are task with connecting and “seeing” each student as an individual. This can only be accomplished by learning details about our student’s such as likes, dislikes, hobbies, future goals, strengths and weaknesses.

Evidence 1

As a Language Arts teacher, one of the first activities I engaged my students in worked not only as a “getting to know you” activity but also served as a formative assessment for writing. This was a Fingerprint Writing activity and an example is shown in Evidence 1. As one can see I was able to learn a lot about my students from their favorite colors, subjects in school, pets, and foods to sports and vacations. This assignment also let me assess writing skills, as well as, ability to follow directions. This project gave me lots of information I can use in designing lessons and giving examples. I find that using students within examples helps to make the instruction more fun and engaging. In Evidence 2, you can see an example of my using a student in an example and my knowledge of his playing soccer to help demonstrate the context clue of inference. My question to my students was, What sport does Sam play? How do you know? I knew I could engage a large amount of my students (specifically boys) with this question because I had gone and watched their game. Little details can have large impact.

Evidence 2

Effective teachers have to do more than just know their student’s names. They have to greet them with a smile, engage them in interesting conversations, Listen and Respond when they speak, and help students celebrate each other’s successes. This establishes a foundation of warmth, respect and community within the classroom. The effective teacher has students build upon each other’s ideas providing a means of feedback and critical thinking.  In an article from EDU 6160, Hattie and Timperley (2007) write, “Specifically, feedback is more effective when it provides information on correct rather than incorrect responses…” (85). It is important for students to know what they are doing well so that they remain motivated and stay engaged.

By designing curriculum that is engaging and gets kids critically thinking, a teacher can eliminate a good portion of student misbehaviors. Students that are bored or don’t understand the lesson, inevitably cause disruptions. That’s why it’s important for teachers to know their students background, how they learn and design lessons with the students in mind.

At this point I am very pleased with the progress I have made in forming connections with my students both in and out the classroom and will continue to make conscious efforts in this area.  Building and maintaining positive teacher-student relationships is an area that needs continued, thoughtful attention and diligence. It is always a work in progress.

References

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007, May). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77, 81-112.

Wong, H. K. & Wong, R. T. (2009). The first days of school: how to be an effective teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.