"TEACHER SUPER POWERS"
likeability, relationship building:
“Many popular teachers are strict; yet, at the same time, they treat students in a friendly and respectful manner, they make their classes as interesting as possible, and they try to make every student feel a part of the class. Such teachers are both liked and respected, and they wield a great deal of power with students.” Dr. Irvin King, "One Man's Perspective of Discipline in the Schools"
Michael Linsin calls Attractive/Relational Power “leverage” – if the teacher is pleasant to be around, having fun, and creating engaging lessons, then students are more likely to behave and work hard. (JOY = SECRET WEAPON! Having fun with teaching…..)
Building relationships with students and establishing rapport grows out of the teacher's genuine concern and caring for students. Michael Linsin says that to strengthen your leverage you need to create a fun, dynamic, engaging, challenging class ave a classroom that kids love to come to! Steven Covey says one of the 7 habits of highly effective people is to "seek first to understand, then to be understood." It is invaluable for the teacher to know what makes the students "tick."
- Listening & Understanding; showing the students that you care
- Authentic Praise & Encouragement: "8 Ways to Fuel Your Students' Intrinsic Motivation," by Michael Linsin
- Humor & Story-Telling
- ASSUME THE BEST – believe in your students’ potential! Who are we to judge who a kid will grow up to become?
- Find the good in everyone and focus on the positive
- Build a community; a TEAM
- Acknowledge when students do what they are supposed to do, use specific and authentic PRAISE when they excel.
- Respecting Students
- High Expectations for Students
- Apologize when you are wrong
- As important as it is to be well-liked, there will be times when we will not be very popular. It isn't all about a popularity contest. Good classroom management includes holding kids accountable, and sometimes that just isn't pretty, folks, especially when students try to manipulate you into giving in to their demands by whining, complaining, or pitching fits. This happens even in middle and high school, not just elementary.
Students desperately need leadership and structure. However, in today's classroom, the teacher's hands are effectively tied when it comes to keeping order. In years past, teachers could rely on legitimate authority and the use of consequences to maintain control of the group. However, many students no longer automatically respect the teacher and it is a BIG mistake for us to even attempt to assert authority by issuing consequences without first building a strong trust relationship with students. (Having a great relationship with the kids does not mean sacrificing our leadership role, nor does it mean being "friends" with them.)
"Managing expectations: pushing a child too hard will make them reject you and thus not make art and create chaos in your classroom. Encouragement is key. If a student feels comfortable and confident in their abilities, they typically create and do not cause problems. Be consistent. Be clear. Be concise. Also, get to know your students. Watch a cartoon or t.v. show they like. Play a video game. Listen to some of their music. Some of the stuff they like is actually pretty good. You'd be surprised how far that takes you in getting them to trust you. If they see you as a person, they will be more willing to trust you. I am not saying be their friend. There should be clearly defined boundaries and roles. You are their teacher and they are your students. This doesn't mean they can't see you as a person as well." Chris Screws, high school
Rapport & Influence, collection of articles, Michael Linsin, smartclassroommanagement.com
What Building Relationships With Students Really Means, Michael Linsin
"So stop buying into the notion that you have to build relationships one student at a time. Stop thinking that you have to add yet another time-consuming strategy to your overflowing plate. Stop spending more time with some students and not others.How To Build Effortless Rapport, Michael Linsin
The fact is, the most effective way to build relationships with students also happens to be the most effective approach to classroom management.
Be true to your word. Follow through with your classroom management plan. Refrain from any and all harmful, scolding, bribing, manipulative, or friction-creating methods of managing behavior.
Smile. Love your students. Bring humor and joy to your classroom. And you’ll never, ever have to try to build influential relationships.
They’ll just . . . happen."
"For it doesn’t take comedic wit. It doesn’t take a talk-show personality. And it doesn’t take time and effort trying to force the issue.
No, rapport is nothing more than a willingness to enjoy your students combined with a near-obsessive reliance on your classroom management plan.
It’s a knight’s watch, standing sentry, day after day, protecting their right to learn and relish school without interference or a fractured and fearful relationship with their teacher.
It’s the freedom to love your students, unencumbered.
So they can love you right back."
Five Things Your Students Wish You Would Tell Them, Abby Schukei, theartofed.com
How I Bonded With One Problem Student Over a Mutual Disdain of Dress Codes, by Bill Flanigin, The Huffington Post
Editor's note: Managing student behavior involves far more than discipline techniques. In order to create an environment for student success, the teacher needs to provide quality instruction as well as appropriate motivation. Most importantly, the teacher needs to have the right attitude for leadership in the classroom. Finally, having a solid classroom management plan with rules and procedures set up from the beginning of the year is also extremely important - students need to be very clear about what the teacher's expectations are.
disclaimer: These are a set of ideas about being proactive in teaching based on classroom experience as well as various education authors. Many times there are circumstances in the classroom that are beyond any teacher's control, especially when serving at-risk populations or in environments where those in administration fail to provide effective leadership in a school. Sometimes, regardless of the prevailing theories about teacher responsibility, the teacher is not to be blamed for out of control students. Finally, we do NOT recommend that you put any of these strategies into practice if your administration disagrees with them.
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