Malcolm Forbes, former publisher of Forbes magazine declared, “the purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” I could not agree more. In my classroom to best facilitate this ideal I plan to have open, thoughtful dialogue with my student’s, provide a positive and safe environment, and invest fully in relationships with my students to allow for them to become open, active, and informed citizens.
Establishing relationships with my students will supply the foundation of my classroom climate. Humans are innately social animals as Cozolino (2013) stresses: “our ability to learn is interwoven with the quality of our relationships.” Before any academic learning can be conducted there has to be established trust and rapport between teacher and student. Relationship building happens through all facets of teaching, but without it a student is unlikely to engage and invest in their education. Students are likely to spend as much or more time with their teachers than their own parents, therefore, I think, these relationships come naturally.
I have a student who has been labeled as a “trouble-maker” by his new first grade teacher. After he was sent to the principal’s office, I had a
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A neighborhood sets the stage for a child’s life and presents them with what is real and normal. "The implication is where you start in life is where you end up in life" (Alexander, 2014). A child needs support to change their circumstances. A child is working to meet family expectations as well as community expectations. These factors are all at work pushing and pulling a student in multiple directions. I think one of the most difficult results of living in a low-income or an inner city neighborhood is often the loss of role models (Parry, 2012). If a child does not have any role models to follow, a teacher’s responsibility is to become such a role
“The academic objectives of schools cannot be met un¬less teachers provide students with a socially and emotion¬ally healthy classroom environment” (as cited in Brackett, Reyes, Rivers, Elbertson, & Salovey, 2011, p. 27). Making classrooms safe, healthy, and conducive to learning are of the utmost importance. One way for teachers to obtain these objectives is by creating positive student-teacher relationships. In the article, “How to Win Friends and Influence Students,” Biga and Spott apply methodologies from the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and transform them to fit a classroom setting. Biga and Spott believe that making students feel important is a proactive task to which teachers must adhere. Three techniques that the authors suggest will improve student-teacher relationships include: welcome messages, getting their attention (through giving attention), and conversation stacks.
A substantial literature delivers indications that sturdy as well as positive relationships among teachers and pupils are essential to the vigorous growth of each and every learner in primary schools. An optimistic teacher-pupil relationship is a critical aspect for pupils’ knowledge as it permits the learner to acquire in surroundings where they feel greeted as well as at comfort. It is said that the teacher–pupil relationship predominantly in the early year settings is one of the most influential origins within the environment of a primary school. In addition to this it has been noticed that a key aspect influencing pupils’ growth, early school engagement as well as educational motivation, teacher–pupil interactions create the foundation of the social setting in which learning takes place. Consequently, the teacher is required to obligate with the skills to associate with their pupil on a level that they comprehends and agrees. This paper discusses the reason why it is important for the primary school teachers to establish positive teacher/pupil relationship as well as the ways in which this can be achieved is demonstrated.
The poem “Students,” by Tom Wayman and the story, “Crow Lake,” by Mary Lawson presents two teachers who cope with the same difficulties of teaching. Although the teachers are faced with identical circumstances, their resolutions for the problem vary. Wayman, in the poem, and the narrator in the story both fails to make connection with their students, however, Wayman understands his students’ behavior while the narrator refuses to communicate and simply gives up on teaching.
Why are relationships important? A review of the research literature shows that authors have a lot to say about positive relationships with students. Thompson (1998) says, “The most powerful weapon available to secondary teachers who want to foster a favorable learning climate is a positive relationship with our students” (p. 6). Canter and Canter (1997) make the statement that we all can recall classes in which we did not try very hard because we didn't like our teachers. Speaking form personal experience as an educator, I realized the importance of the relationship or connection related to teaching. My students responded to instruction and retained knowledge when there was a connection.
In conclusion, the ideas presented here are an overview of my personal beliefs regarding education. I expect that experience may cause me to add to, delete or otherwise alter some of these views. It is my desire to continue to learn from my instructors, peers and ultimately my students so that I may become a well-rounded and effective educator. Someday soon, I would like to be able to describe my classroom as community of learners, having produced good citizens as well as educated individuals.
The relationship that a teacher creates with their students can affect the environment or atmosphere of the classroom. In an article, by Hamre & Pianta (2001), it states that, “supportive relationships help maintain students’ interests in academic and social pursuits, which in turn lead to better grades and more positive peer relationships” (p. 49). Most students will work harder for teachers if they build a good connection with the student. Teachers will also look more “human” to a student and remind them that the teacher does care very much about them. The article also states that, “Talking with students about their lives outside of school is one way teachers can show an interest in and appreciation for students” (Hamre & Pianta, 2001, p. 54). Students love talking about their lives outside of school and their interests. It also allows them to show their personalities and lets the student know that their teacher wants to know about
My philosophy on education is that all students should receive the most uplifting educational experience. I want to change a student’s spirit towards all aspects of their school and curriculum. Creating a sense of pride in themselves and where they attend school is a crucial element in their interest in education. A student should be allowed to form their own opinions, instead of conforming to the ideas of their teacher. This will be accomplished by allowing the students to take charge of their learning so that it will hold some significance to them. I feel it is my responsibility to help shape the students’ character, as well as their minds. An educator should model the behaviors that are expected from their students. An educator should practice ideal qualities such as acceptance, empathy, and broadmindedness. A teacher is not the only model that students will be exposed to in their life. This is why it is crucial to involve parents and other members of the community to share in your vision. Students learn a variety of social skills as they embark on their education at any school district. They learn to listen, take turns, hear different points of view, negotiate, communicate, and take responsibility for their own behavior. I believe that when students have those skills and attitudes; learning will be meaningful in their lives. The vision of an educator will not hold any meaning unless it is implemented, maintained and promoted to the school and community. The goal of the school is to provide the students with a wide variety of educational experiences that will encourage self-respect, the acceptance of others, customary behavior, life-long learning, and active participation in society.
Teachers help us expand and open our mind by giving us skills throughout students’ early life to help students when they are older. By learning information from teachers, students become better people, in a couple of ways. Besides inquiring knowledge from their teachers, students learn to work with one another, open their mind to other peoples’ thoughts and ideas, respect one another, and learn different techniques for life’s issues.
The students must trust that the teacher has their best interest at heart. This trust will help build a positive relationship between student and teacher. This is important for giving the students a sense of purpose, as they will then be more motivated to succeed. This allows them to be more active in class activities and engage in discussion. Not only is trust important between teacher and student, but also between students. A student should not fear ridicule when providing their opinion or an answer. This is a teacher’s responsibility to establish a sense of community by allowing students to get to know each other and develop positive relationships throughout the entire classroom. Students must be made aware that it’s our differences that make us unique, but it’s our similarities that make us human. The classroom should be a place of acceptance, where every student’s well-being is
It’s no well-kept secret that inner city impoverished neighborhoods produce some of the lowest test scores in the nation. It is not necessarily the children’s fault that they perform poorly, they are simply victims of their environment, one of apathy, greed, and a lack of academic importance in life. Most of their parents are not well educated, and as statistics show, they will not be either. Often, inner city youths, good children to begin with, become entrapped in a vortex of negativity stemming from a community that does not care to support them in a positive manner, and prominent negative influences abundantly tempting them, such as drugs, violence, and crime. Given the right opportunity and nurturing, any of these children could very well grow up to be professional college educated people with a wide variety of degrees allowing them to positively contribute to society and become as beneficiary as the influences they, themselves had as children. The problem is that there is not that initial stimulus of support that is so necessary in the development of a child’s life and long-term orientation.
Education is a very important aspect of our lives. It is our education that makes us who we are and determines what we become. Therefore, education is not something to be taken lightly. As a teacher, my goal will be to provide the best possible education for my students. Every student is unique. I must see students for who they are individually and respect their ideas and opinions. Each student has a different learning style. I must take this into consideration because I want to provide a constructive learning opportunity for every student. I believe that every student has the potential to learn.
Education is an ever-changing part of society. A classroom teacher is faced with new challenges and obstacles that have never been dealt with before. Students come to the classroom with different life stories. Every student has strengths and weaknesses that surface in the classroom environment. Teachers must understand and focus on utilizing each student's strengths and work to improve weaknesses. Students learn in a variety of ways. The classroom must be a safe zone that appreciates student's viewpoints and allows room for mistakes. When topics in the classroom are related to "real-life" experiences, the information is more likely to be retained. Students learn from one another. The ideas and perspectives that each student brings to the classroom can bring insight into what is being learned. Students have to be allowed to explore new ideas, try them to see if they work, and sometimes fail. When students are encouraged to explore, they begin the process of becoming lifelong learners.
Education serves as the foundation to a lifetime of learning. Since every child is unique, I believe that it is important for them to learn in an environment that is both secure and stimulating. By creating this type of atmosphere, the students will be able to realize their intelligence and use it constructively. As a future educator, it will be my goal to establish a classroom that is, 1) non-authoritarian, 2) student-centered, and 3) focused around student experience. These three elements are part of Progressivism, the educational philosophy I plan to incorporate in my classroom.
As educators we wish to have the students gain knowledge, through our efforts, and continue to expand their minds using the basics we have taught them. In an era when so many outside interests often cloud the minds of our impressionable youth, we often wonder how we can accomplish this task.
Students need to be inspired to think critically. By this they comprehend what has been learned and be able to use it. I hope my students will be able to achieve their greatest potential that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. We can give our children these building blocks thru education to use in decision making situations, moral value of their thoughts and actions. This will guide them to realize how their actions and decisions will affect themselves and others.