“Great teachers focus not on compliance but on connections and relationships.” Says P.J Caposey, putting across the final outcome of a good teacher and student relationship.

Often, in the millennial age, the importance of establishing a strong, mutually fruitful teacher and student relationship is forgotten. In the race towards achieving desired goals, a herculean task of delivering concepts and lessons, assessing performances and highlighting areas of improvement for each student, the amount of hectic effort and neck-deep responsibility of teachers is binding and tiring at times. Similarly, students face tough competition from their peers, bear the need to comprehend concepts delivered by teachers, work extra hard on concepts that are relatively harder to grasp, and also deal with expectations from their families and community.

The truth is, education and learning is a process that goes hand in hand with both the student and the teacher understanding each other’s requirements and fulfilments. This starts by open, frank and compassionate conversation with the students about what it is exactly that the teachers expect from them and why.

Here are five ways in which teachers can ensure of a better and a more effective way of reaching across to students and developing better connections with them.

1. Conduct regular inductions and SWOT analysis with students.

Every once in two months or on a fairly regular basis, start off classes congratulating the students for making it this far and analyzing their performances in tests. By doing this, teachers are developing methods to inform students of their Strengths, Weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). By pointing out their weaknesses in a constructive manner and warning them of the threats that lie ahead, teachers enable students to take responsibility for their actions and prepare for better results.

 

2. Assigning creative projects or presentations instead of plain old homework.

Studies have found that students tend to incline towards a subject that contains more of practical, real-time and constructive, research based projects rather than the traditional pen-notebook homework. They tend to develop better interest in the subject, interact and learn from the teacher on a more frequent basis which not only leads to improvement in the subject but also a feel-good factor of open communication with the teacher. It also helps the teachers to observe and appreciate individual and diverse creativity skills of each student.

3. Correction in the mood of compassion rather than compulsion.

It is more fruitful and beneficial to correct students, be it academia or conduct, in a compassionate and caring manner. In matters of a student’s behavioural conducts, it is best to involve a school counsellor so as to understand deeper reasons behind a child’s apparent ‘bad behaviour’. Encouraging them to take a break occasionally to keep stress at bay is one of the most constructive things a teacher can do for his/her students.

4. Encouraging students in front of their parents.

Students are found to develop a better sense of trust and inclination towards teachers who provide a positive feedback about them to their parents. Parents in turn use this to further encourage children at home to keep up and improve themselves, therefore, a positive cycle is created between all three parties.

5. Constructive criticism over rebukes and chastisement.

Studies have shown that 73% of students were seen to perform badly because they perceived that the teacher(s) thought poorly of them. It is important to make a student aware of his mistakes, weaknesses and areas of improvements but never make them feel inferior or incompetent in the process.

Being a teacher is not easy, of course we get it, which is why you’re the real heroes that build quality citizens of tomorrow. To have a great and memorable lane to look back at, it is necessary to develop good teacher and student relationship, not only to create happier, positive students but also ever cherished, unforgettable and impacting teachers.

 

Related: How to make parents teachers meeting more productive

 

 

 

 

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