A positive and strong student-teacher relationship is essential for building a good learning environment. We all have at least one teacher we loved; we were always more engaged in their classes and learned a lot from them because they were patient, empathetic, and active. Their wisdom and mentorship were genuinely life-changing for us.
A strong bond between the student and the teacher guarantees that everyone in the class learns something, irrespective of their learning pace. It might be challenging, but it can help increase students’ cooperation, prosocial behavior, and academic success and even help them choose a career path.
This blog will discuss the top six ways to build a solid relationship between students and teachers.
So, let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Structured Learning Environment:
Having a structured classroom is essential for building a strong student-teacher relationship. It helps promote student learning and ensures that the classroom environment is constructive. Students tend to respond positively to a structured classroom, allowing teachers to ensure discipline. It also creates an environment where there is mutual respect between the peers and the instructor.
Setting the tone early by practicing classroom rules, regulations, and procedures helps establish clear expectations from both parties, ultimately improving the learning experience. The classroom rules and regulations must be consistently reinforced. It aids in creating a safe classroom environment where students feel supported and understood. It also helps students by fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability. It minimizes downtime, too; each day becomes a set of engaging learning activities that go by without a hitch. A teacher can establish this structured learning environment by implementing consistent routines and effective classroom strategies.
Model Appropriate Behaviour:
To build a solid student-teacher relationship, it is essential that the teacher models appropriate behavior and avoid any negative interactions. A negative student-teacher dynamic can lead to a stressful classroom environment. It often leads to negative feelings like anger, frustration, sarcasm, and bullying in the classroom. Such behavior can be destructive to learning and leads to academic failure.
Teachers must understand the consequences of their behavior and actions and take proactive steps to prevent them. They should exhibit respect, empathy, and patience. Moreover, clear communication is also essential for a safe and inclusive learning environment. Teachers who show positive behaviors and attitudes toward students inspire and guide them for academic growth.
Consider A Student’s Perspective:
A comprehensive understanding of student perspectives is crucial. Teachers must put themselves in their students’ shoes to better understand their experiences and learning problems. It helps teachers understand students’ issues and experiences and address their needs and demands.
A teacher must ask themselves these questions before proceeding with different classroom activities:
- What is this experience like for Maria?
- Does Sean feel uncomfortable with this activity?
- How often have I given feedback to my students in the past week?
- What extrinsic and intrinsic factors influence the students’ behavior and actions?
These questions help improve students’ self-esteem and make them feel seen and heard. If a student is continuously struggling with learning problems and has been getting negative feedback, talk to them about it compassionately and be a listening ear for them. You can also ask students to fill up feedback forms for themselves and improve your teaching methods accordingly.
Know Students’ Families:
A teacher is bound to encounter some students needing extra attention and care. For their learning experience to be smooth sailing and effective, you must have a clear line of communication with the student’s families and caregivers. When a teacher puts in extra effort, students feel more responsible for their actions. A call once a week to tell a student’s parents that they did well this week or that their recent essay was excellent can help improve their self-esteem and increase their engagement level.
Hence, a teacher should call each student’s family in the first couple of weeks and introduce themselves with a positive observation of the student. Then ask parents or caregivers about the student and if there is anything that they need to know. If a teacher has a culturally diverse class, it is recommended that they learn about their cultures. They can do this by asking each student to do an assignment about their native cultures.
Share weekly reports about what’s being done in class and the student’s progress. And ask parents to be alert if the student seems down and depressed in class. Look into it and see whether the school environment is causing it or if it’s a problem at home.
Make Learning Fun:
A fun and exciting learning environment increases the probability of a positive student-teacher relationship. Old-fashioned teaching methods like note-taking, classroom reading, and lectures for slideshows don’t cut it anymore. They are uninspiring and monotonous. Teachers must inject fun, creativity, and unorthodox learning strategies into their lessons to engage students.
Students like it when they receive undivided attention from their teachers and perform excellently. They also actively participate in learning. Teachers must ensure their teaching methods and lectures are always engaging and creative.
Students highly regard teachers who infuse their lessons with fun and interactive elements. Such teachers create a positive rapport and make learning a rewarding experience. Teachers can make learning more exciting and memorable by incorporating games, group activities, hands-on experiments, and multimedia resources.
Believe in Them:
The teachers’ perceptions of their students directly impact how they relate. A good teacher ensures that each student knows they are unique in their own right and will succeed in life. Believing that every child can achieve great things and conveying this belief to them is essential.
Teachers and parents must demonstrate high expectations for behavior, effort, and improvement. Encourage students to surpass their expectations and strive for excellence. If students’ parents and teachers doubt their abilities, they are less likely to try to succeed and second-guess themselves throughout their lives.
While all students may require varying levels of support, maintain high standards for each student. Provide support and understanding, offer resources, and adapt your teaching to accommodate the different learning styles of the students. Always be ready to provide additional assistance to those students who need it.
Bottom Line:
Building strong teacher-student relationships is vital for creating a positive and effective learning environment. By implementing strategies such as providing structure, modeling appropriate behavior, considering students’ perspectives, knowing their families, making learning fun, and believing in their potential, teachers can foster meaningful connections with their students. These relationships enhance academic success and contribute to students’ overall well-being and personal development.