Getting closer to students is one of the important things that a teacher should do. Ideally, the relationship between a teacher and students should not be limited to the classroom but also extend outside of it. Teachers must be able to build trust with students, showing that they can be both a friend and a parent figure at school. Teachers must create a sense of safety and comfort for the students.
However, building relationships is not an easy task. It was one of the
challenges I faced in my early teaching days. My friends could easily connect
with the students. Some of them enjoyed socializing and sharing stories with
the students. However, I found it difficult. My relationship with students was
only as a respected teacher. I rarely shared stories with them.
So, what did I do to build relationships with students? It turns out,
all I needed to do was start a conversation first. Indeed, starting and
maintaining a conversation with others, especially students, is not easy. I had
to find topics that they liked so they would be interested in talking to me.
Usually, I would ask about their daily lives, what they usually do. Sometimes,
I would discuss topics that they might like, such as movies or celebrities. I
also tried to follow their daily conversation topics.
In addition to finding topics, creating an atmosphere is also important.
I always try to be expressive when talking to students, so they can better
understand my feelings. I want students to know that I am excited to talk to
them. I want them to know that I also want to build a good relationship with
them.
In the end, students started to understand me and open up. Many of them
liked talking to me. Some students even invited me to have lunch together. Of
course, I wouldn't waste such an opportunity. Instead, I used the opportunity
to build a closer relationship with the students.
Sometimes, students would talk at the same time, making me confused
about who to pay attention to. Usually, I would reprimand them and ask them to
take turns speaking. I like to emphasize that we should respect others who are
speaking. I ask them to listen to their peers and speak when their friends are
finished. I encourage them to have a conversation together, rather than
competing to speak. This way, students can appreciate their conversation
partners more.
Furthermore, giving rewards is also an effective way to build
relationships. I rarely give rewards to students. Only on certain occasions do
I give rewards as a form of appreciation. However, I see my friends who like to
give rewards to students. By giving rewards, students will pay more attention
to us. They will also appreciate us more. They will be interested in us and
start to open up. Of course, that is a good thing and worth trying when
building relationships with students.
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