Reflection 1 - Building Relationships
Over the course of two weeks, I have come to realise the importance of building relationships in a year 1 classroom. These relationships are essential in providing the best possible learning opportunities for the students. Through developing these relationships with students and teachers, I have broadened my knowledge and understanding about the children’s individual learning styles, interests and the effect positive acknowledgement has on their participation and motivation levels.
When walking in day one, it was my goal to know the name of each individual child by the end of week one. Even in a two week placement, I understood the importance of acknowledging each child by their name. The students responded positively to this action. As a result, the students became friendlier and acknowledged me as a pre-service teacher. Another strategy implemented was positive feedback and engagement in interests. When students were expressing interests and stories, I used positive facial and body gestures to show acknowledgement and interest.
Throughout the two week placement, the strategies I have used for building relationships have continued to change and develop. As a result of discussions and seminars I decided in the best interests for the class to try to acknowledge positive behaviour instead of negative. By acknowledging negative and disrespectful behaviour, I would spend a considerable amount of time focusing on those students. Students
Forming and maintaining positive relationships within a school setting is of great importance. To have good relationships with pupils, staff and parents is not only beneficial to the school but also to pupil’s achievement.
Students in the classroom come from a variety of backgrounds. Their lives are shaped by their families, their communities, but also their peers in school whom they will spend hours a day with throughout their educational career. The ability to form relationships with others, to create lasting friendships that grow and evolve with time, is detrimental to all children and their development. Lacking the ability to do so, whether it is directly because of their conditions or because of how other students perceive them, can dramatically harm them emotionally and mentally.
Today’s classrooms are becoming more and more diverse with students that have disabilities and those that come from different cultures. It is important for educators to ensure that their teaching strategies are appropriate for all of the children in their classroom. When it comes to the classroom there can be many cultural challenges that educators will have to address to ensure that all students are growing and developing appropriately. Educators need to make sure that they are capable of addressing each of their
Establishing rapport and respectful and trusting relationships is an essential part of working with and supporting children and young people. This is because it enables pupils to feel respected, empowered and it means that communication is comfortable and clear between both pupil and adult. It also enables staff members to be professional, build a good relationship with pupils and to role model behaviour that they would expect of their pupils. There are various ways that staff members can establish rapport and achieve respectful and trusting relationships including speaking at an age appropriate level with their pupils, displaying good communication skills such as eye contact and an appropriate volume to our voice, following through
Preparing high school students for college is every parent and teachers goal but sometimes that goal is hard to achieve. Students are not getting a proper education now-a-days and they do not realize that it is going to hurt them after they graduate. A study says, “That composite score dropped to 20.9 among high school students in 2013, the lowest in eight years” (Adams, 2013). That is a very low average and it is because what students are learning in high school just isn’t sticking with them through college. After students graduate they start taking harder classes, some have to start paying their own bills, and so many other changes they are not ready for. It is a big jump to go from high school to college and I think schools can do a better job of preparing students. It is their experience and education in high school that is going to help them in college. If they are not ready they are going to struggle which will result in some not so good outcomes such as having low grades or even worse dropping out. I do not believe that high school education has prepared students for college because there are many useless classes, it is more about memorizing than learning, and students drop out in a year or less because of the workload.
I see relationships as being integral and ensure that there is open communication with whanau, tamariki and the teaching team. I am sensitive to each child’s needs and build reciprocal relationships that enhance learning outcomes. I take time to actively listen to children and have rich conversations that challenge children’s thinking.
Positive relationships between practitioners and the children will improve the atmosphere within the classroom and help to provide a happy and friendly environment for learning and socialising. Once a strong relationship is established between the children they feel like they belong and will feel comfortable about coming to you regarding any problems or concerns they may have.
When building relationships with children and young people you must adapt your behaviour and communication to suit the situation and age of the child or young person. Children need to feel secure and valued this can be achieved through positive communication, showing that you are interested in what they have to say and value their opinions whilst not giving pupils attention whenever they demand it! Children and young people of different ages need different levels of attention. A younger child may need more physical contact and reassurance when coping with the transition into secondary education. During puberty they may need to talk
My first day being a Freshmen was by far the hardest day of my life. I went to Mississinewa! I didn’t know any of my teachers, and I didn’t have any classes with my friends. I remember having gym class with a lot of boys and I hated it, because it was all juniors and senior boys. At the end of my freshman year I actually ended up moving to Marion High school.
Many Schools around the world follow this schooling schedule it makes you wonder why shouldn’t we be apart of it too. The people who play their role in being apart of this schooling schedule both love and hate it at the same time. At the end of the day, year round-schools change people for better or worse the ones who hate it at first eventually change their perspective of it at the end when they notice the results in their test, and it will change how students will have to adjust their years and vacations due to smaller breaks.
Throughout my senior block experience, I have been in three different classrooms, with many different students. Each student possessed unique qualities that have taught me better communication skills and relationship building. Three specific students were John, Jacob, and Justin (for the confidentiality of the students, I have changed their names). These students’ different behaviors have caused an effect on either their learning or social interactions.
More importantly, creating positive student-teacher relationships can prevent discipline issues from arising. By establishing a persistent tone of mutual respect, students will participate in class activities with confidence that they and their opinions are valued. Students also should be taught how to appreciate the unique contributions each student brings to the class, as well as how to effectively resolve issues that may arise. I believe that demonstrating genuine respect to students and showing interest in their concerns will allow the effective use of instructional time, positive relationships to prevail, and minimal discipline problems to avail.
…. in hopes of being better educators. “Day-to-day interactions are more important than formal questionnaires. A smile, a hand on the shoulder, the use of a student’s name, or a question that shows you remember something the student has mentioned-these small gestures do much to develop relationships” (Bondy and Ross p. 2-3).
My first year of high school was filled with adventures and difficulties throughout the years. Comparing to my other years, I took challenges, such as taking on sports while finding the time for my school works and achieving my goals. However, I was able to find the way and fight through my freshman year.
When I think about my role as a teacher, one of the most important things I consider is the relationships I build with my students, parents, colleagues, and community members. In the classroom, I need to ensure that I create a safe, loving, and positive learning environment. In order to make all students feel welcome, I get to know their names, the correct pronunciation and spellings, learning their culture and background, and their