Thursday, September 4, 2014

Engaging students in the classroom

The age old issue of engaging students in the classroom is raised yet again. How do we keep students in our classes and learning?
Recently I saw a quote that really got me thinking about student behaviour and reflecting on my practice.  It went something along the lines of ' a happy student is a good student, but a good student may not be a happy student' This was in an article about relationship building.  How can our students learn if the teacher fails to reach out and make a connection with them?
Teachers who foster good relationships with their students create learning settings that promote great learning.


What do positive student-teacher relationships look like in the classroom?
  • Teachers show their pleasure and enjoyment of students. 
  • Teachers interact in a responsive and respectful manner. 
  • Teachers offer students help (e.g., answering questions in timely manner, offering support that matches the children's needs) in achieving academic and social objectives.
  • Teachers help students reflect on their thinking and learning skills. 
  • Teachers know and demonstrate knowledge about individual students' backgrounds, interests, emotional strengths and academic levels. 
  • Teachers seldom show irritability or aggravation toward students.
                      http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx

 

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