For over forty years, I have been a part of a school environment is some fashion. I have been the student sitting behind the desk, the teacher in a classroom and that eager parent involved in my children’s school life. Each setting has been a ‘family’ in its own manner, with each member contributing to my growth and understanding of who I am and want to be as an educator and a ‘conscious leader’. My love of learning has instilled a curiosity asking those around me what they have come to know and why they know it. In asking, I have learned about vulnerability and courage and in turn gratitude. “If we want meaningful change, we have to make a connection to the heart before we can make a connection to the mind “(Couros, 2015). I believe wholeheartedly that the success of a school at all levels relies on the relationships that coexist in that environment. One of the strengths that I possess is my ability to foster effective relationships within the school community. I feel adamantly that strong relationships move learning forward and it has been my primary focus in my daily work. I have an open-door policy where all members of our learning community feel comfortable in coming to me without judgment, to work through issues, solve problems, and develop more collaborative working relationships. Listening to the thoughts, feelings and ideas of our staff and students and asking pertinent questions has been a key to developing these strong relationships. As well, open-mindedness
As teacher’s we are committing to a life time of learning and development of ourselves and our learners.
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.
Time and time again I've found myself declaring education as the central pillar of my growth and development, that of which has been consistent throughout my life and educational career. From the age of 8 I've attributed school and learning as a way to escape the outside world, both willingly, and as an involuntary coping mechanism; school was a refuge, a safe place where I could build healthy relationships and escape my worries. I felt valued by my teachers, and I was given opportunities to contribute to a community, and for the first time felt autonomous- and that I could control my future.
Today, teachers strive for the creation of positive and influential learning environments for all students. Moreover, they aim at increasing children’s chances of succeeding. They constantly re-evaluate their teaching strategies for educational improvement of students. Teachers create supportive and respectful school environment that makes students strive for more prosperous and eventually rewarding lives. According to Deborah Tannen, the teacher’s encouraging and
To create and work on positive relationships in schools, you need to show and role model effective communication in conversations with other adults and the way you approach other adults
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.
An American psychiatrist by the name of William Glasser once stated, “When you study great teachers…you will learn much more from their caring and hard work than from their style.” Teachers are a huge part of an individual’s life. From the time a person enters into preschool until the complete cessation of their educational career, the teachers and professors along the way each influence that student’s perspective and feeling towards the particular subject they taught. With daily interactions, teachers become a part of a student’s microsystem. They are often times the only other constant adult figure in their student’s life apart from the caregiver. Whether it is acknowledged or not, the importance of teacher cannot be overstated. Unfortunately,
W. Edwars Deming, American engineer and management consultant, wrote “a bad system will beat a good person every time.” This quote demonstrates the necessity for a school administrator to establish a school culture that is inviting and characterized by collaboration. In order to intentionally create a welcoming and collaborative school climate, clear, frequent, and inclusive communication is fundamental. Families, staff, and community members should be afforded the opportunity to become involved in enhancing student learning, the decision making processes of the school, and meaningful school-based activities. Opening the lines of communication about possible involvement at a school promotes a good system, in which good people can thrive.
Cooper & Garner, (2012) speak of the three R’s one of them being a relationship, “trusting relationships between teachers and students prime the brain for learning, activate willingness to cooperate, and encourage excellence” p. 4. Securing relationships with students will allow the classroom to develop and stabilize into a “learning classroom”. As an educator, the focus can then be on facilitating advancement in knowledge. I currently find that the development of a respectful relationship with clinical students and new employees allows the facilitation of a conducive learning environment. Of course as discussed in Cooper & Garner, (2012) I believe that it then leads to a “growth mindset” allowing for a more impactful learning experience.
The early head start program has undergone major changes because of the heighten concerns over school readiness and success. The focus on child readiness has shown provisions on quality of head start preparation. Low income children who lagged behind, low academic skills; poor performance of teachers; and health care and family support raised attention to The Federal office of head start around 2010.
In order for the principal to develop positive relationships within the community the school needs to demonstrate, and promote the contributions provided. The school needs to adopt an “our children” attitude with the community to share in the benefits for students (Epstein, 2009).
The principal’s role in developing positive community relations sets the tone for communication patterns, partnership formation and/or alienation (Fiore, 2013). There are many tasks that the principal has that is important to school and community relations. Some of those are being a good listener, diplomatic and tactful and all situations. They also have to promote the open door policy to be free to communicate with students, parents, and their staff. They also have to inform the superintendent and community about good and bad things that are
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
As children, we absorb information and learn from experiences that mold us into who we are. Many individuals impact a child’s life, but the most powerful and influential role lies in a devoted teacher, a teacher provides growth to students as a gardener would to a garden of flowers. Each child can bloom into a thriving flower so long as you water their garden with optimism, love, patience, and guidance. Throughout my educational experiences I was lucky enough to have educators who poured their knowledge and optimism into me, and now I would like to reciprocate that back to students who are in the position I was once in. Balancing life and school is hard enough for a student, but a powerful and caring teacher can steer you in the right direction. In this autobiography you will read about my educational background, experiences that influenced my decision to become a teacher, and what I believe the role of a teacher should be in a student’s life.