Joy and success in the classroom comes from a collaborative relationship between the teachers and the students.
“When you get up in the morning just be appreciative, grateful and thankful for your calling to be of service to your students and then go to school and just love those kids.” Back in 1963 that advice, given me by an old teaching veteran, helped me realize the importance of showing the students that I sincerely cared about their progress and success. For that wisdom, I am forever grateful to that teacher, Michael Timbers, a great teacher!
The following are quick checkpoints that you can easily use to evaluate why your day in the classroom went well and was a joy.
Here are some doable collaborative working skills used successfully by the author:
* Friendly and Caring: Students want to feel safe and cared about.
* Cheerful and Spirited: Teachers are important role models for positive behavior and positive response.
* Courageous and Encouraging: Encouragement is an easy way to show that you care.
Confident and Competent: If the teachers are unsure of themselves, students will respond negatively.
Constantly Rewarding and Praising: This teacher behavior encourages positive response by students to choose and want to learn and achieve.
Generously using the phrases and words like, Thank You, Thanks, I’m so proud of you, I appreciate that, keep up the good work, Nice job, Cool, You Did Good, Wow, Awesome and I’m proud of you, are some verbal ways to show that their efforts are important. Youth and children need and require constant encouragement delivered in a patient and uplifting way.
Yes, sometimes, it is difficult to sustain those characteristics one hundred percent of the time, especially when your are challenged by persistent misbehavior. Pay close attention to your students and you’ll discovered that most all distracting student behavior is a “cry” for help or a cry for praise and recognition! Treat every behavior as a question of “help me” or “do you care about me teacher”?
Good Luck and best regards, Bob Barta, retired teacher and writer of positive response practical poetry for young and old.
©2016 Bob Barta, Blooming Bobville the practical poet at www.fivestarteacher.com
Disclaimer