This blog post is serving double duty. I’m linking up with Jasmine over at Buzzing with Mrs. McClain for her You Oughta Know blog hop. I am also posting the second topic in a series about teaching in low income communities.
The first lesson without a doubt is getting to know your students. This is probably a “duh,” but I wanted to include it just in case (wink, wink). Knowing students means not only their interests, but also what motivates them, how they receive feedback, things that anger them. Below are a few of my favorite resources to use to get to know your students.
Other Ideas: Attend an extracurricular event, do a home visit, eat lunch with students
I purposefully used the term “influencers” versus “parent” because in my experience I’ve found it helpful to know the adults that students look up to. That might be a previous teacher, extracurricular coach, older sibling, community leader and/or everyone in between. When I prioritize getting to know the people who know the people who are important to my students, it proves that I care, and provides another support link for students. SHAMEFUL PLUG- I’ll be doing a full blog on “Working With Stakeholders” that will include resources…I hope you come back.
When students feel valued as individuals and connected to a community, it provides the framework for a strong classroom culture. A safe and nurturing classroom is something that is intentionally built and maintained by the classroom teacher. From rules and procedures, to the classroom layout and student pairings… EVERYTHING BUILDS (or destroys) CLASSROOM CULTURE. Below are a few resources to assist with building relationships and creating a safe class.
Personal relationships with students take time…and consistency. A lack of consistency creates a slippery slope when it comes to building trust filled relationships with students. Students have to know teacher expectations and these have to be followed through every time…without fail. I tend to think of my relationships with students as flowers… they need consistent sunlight and water.
The final thing you OUGHTA KNOW is that building relationships is hard and time consuming. The most difficult thing in my experience was that many of students have many different layers of protection around who they were, which makes it difficult to open up. I own the times when I stopped trying (please don’t judge me). That said, hindsight is a gift. Looking back, I’ve built stronger skin and have changed my orientation towards relationship building. This can be summed up in one of my favorite Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes, “The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.”As it relates to relationships, I believe that enduring through adversity and humbling myself in service of my kids and community is what has enabled me to build strong relationships and networks.
I’d love to hear how others approach building relationships.
‘Tis the season to teach empathy. From elections to holidays, empathy (IMO) is one of the most under taught/reinforced life habits. As we approach the holiday season, I’ve overheard my students discussing all the things they are going to get, which is great! However, I have so many students who don’t share that experience. They…
I am a collector of things! I love a good quote (or hundred) for my classroom. There are three main moments I look/listen for when using quotes: ♥ “Let’s Do It” Moments: When students need inspiration to push through hard times, and let their best self shine, I sometimes use a quote to get us…
When thinking about student voice in my classroom a few things come to mind. The biggest and most important (in my opinion) is the agency students have over their educational experience, and how they are valued as members of our classroom community. While I am the instructional leader of my classroom, my students are the…
The world of education is chock-full of buzz terms. There’s accountability, differentiation, scaffolding, progress monitoring, data–driven, college ready, and rigor… to name a few. The latter holds a special place in my heart since my former blog was “Raising Rigor and Readers” That said, GRIT is now on the list, and in all honesty, I…
I am joining in with a few of my blogging friends from the Middle School Mob to share a few quick tips on resetting after break. We’ve all been there before! You know that point when you come back from an extended break well rested and ready to pick right up, but your students have…
Keeping it positive in the classroom can be a challenge. Sometimes it’s difficult to even recognize moments of positivity in the midst of chaos learning. I’ve heard hat the ratio of positive to negative recognition in the classroom should be around 5 to 1. Sometimes finding the positive when we are always striving for perfection…
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