Building Relationships With Your Students The First Week………

Who’s here? Please tell us…… –Your name –Where you will be teaching –A little bit about yourself (Checking in is always a great way to start.)

Today…. We will explore the ways to develop positive relationships with each one of your students from the very beginning. Student achievement increases when students feel comfortable and when they feel that they belong. Being the teacher is a powerful role. How we approach our students as well as how we respond to them can make or break a trusting relationship.

Great Resources The First Days of School by Harry & Rosemary Wong 101 “Answers” for New Teachers and Their Mentors by Annette Breaux More Than Meets the Eye by Donna Skolnick

Our task…… How do we begin to build the teacher-student relationship to ensure the best possible teaching and learning?

We need to find out their story…… Getting to Know Each Child (p.25) Don’t develop pre-judgements, but be informed –Check files –Talk to previous teachers –“Meet the Teacher” event

Be Prepared “What you do on the first days of school will determine your success or failure for the rest of the school year. You will either win or lose your class on the first days of school.” Harry Wong

Harry Wong says…….. “The effective teacher establishes good control of the class in the very first week of school. Control does not involve threats or intimidations. Control means that you know –1. what you are doing –2. your classroom procedures –3. your professional responsibilities

An Inviting Classroom Environment Kids’ names somewhere in the room A “place” for each child Avoid clutter A posted daily agenda/schedule Make routines obvious

The First Day of School “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

It matters……. How you dress How your desk looks How the classroom looks That you smile

Welcoming Your Students Be at the door Welcome students by using their name (check pronunciations with the secretary) and possibly a handshake or pat on the shoulder Mention something from “Meet the Teacher”

A Welcome Procedure -Say “hello” to your teacher and 2 friends. -Put your lunch in the basket -Unload your bookbag -Choose a book to read until we are ready to meet for Community.

Build Community Your relationship with EACH child begins with the way you build your relationship with your class. Be sure to include a morning meeting or community time in your daily schedule.

Demonstrate Your Positive Expectations Use Child’s Name Say Please Say Thank you Smile Love the Child, no matter what.

School is not a place; school is a concept. “School is a concept wherein students are welcome to learn and enhance the quality of their lives without fear of intimidation or harm, guided by hospitable and caring people in a clean and orderly environment.” Harry Wong, p. 48

How to Show Students You Care When developing relationships with your students, communicate your feelings using these tips.

1. Listen We’ve been taught to teach, keep order, and manage all the details of the average school day, but we really need to sharpen our listening skills. –Make eye contact –Respond with questions or comments –Value their voice

2. Share something about yourself. We don’t need to get too personal here, but sharing something about yourself allows the students to see that you respect them as human beings. They will enjoy hearing your personal stories, and your connections built through the human touch also builds trust.

3. Value humor. Appropriate humor is healthy and can bring students and teachers together. Laugh often! Admit your mistakes and find comfort in the words, “I don’t know.” We become more credible when students see us not only admit our mistakes, but model how to learn from them.

4. Set high expectations. Earn your students’ respect by setting clear routines and procedures that demand high quality learning. You may be perceived as “strict” or “hard” at first, but your students will respect you and perform at a level of excellence. Remember, you are their teacher, not their best friend.

5. Be curious. Curiosity is contagious! Share your love of learning and the joy you feel as you discover new things. Develop good questioning skills, leading by example of what curiosity looks like and sounds like. Join children in their quests to find our new information.

6. Acknowledge effort. Every child learns at a different rate, and mastery comes at different levels and different times. This doesn’t mean that students aren’t working hard. Recognition needs to occur during the process of learning. Don’t wit until the end. Your spontaneous recognition will give your students the courage and motivation to continue to push forward, and every little bit of encouragement you give them builds trust.

7. Value yourself. Be proud of who you are and what you do. As educators, we need to remember that everything we say and do in the presence of our students affects them. We have an overwhelming amount of power on their lives, and we need to be careful how we use it. Your confidence and pride in yourself sends the message that you trust yourself, making it easier for your students to trust you.

What now? Grade level groups get together and brainstorm ideas for building community and relationships in your classroom I will collect and post ideas for us on nicenet.