Warner Update
Making a difference, one person at a time
Power of Connections (Aug. 30 - Sept. 6)
In theory and rhetoric, the notion that teachers must build relationships with students is logical and well accepted. In my work in schools, I rarely, if ever, hear practitioners contest the idea that relationship building is a critical aspect to their success with students in any classroom or school.
The question, however, is how do teachers and other educators build those relationships? Further, how do educators sustain them—especially during times of conflict—in order to maximize learning opportunities?
At its root, building relationships with students is about meeting students where they are, attempting to understand them, and developing connections with them. From the outset, it requires that teachers are willing to find the good and the worth in students. All students possess positive characteristics and attributes, but these are sometimes overlooked and undervalued. To make these important connections, teachers may have to refocus and sharpen their lenses for thinking about students, especially when they have known students only in a negative light.
Teachers have to ask themselves: “Am I prepared to recognize talent, potential talent, intellect, skill, excellence, and ability when they emerge in an unexpected social context or with an unexpected group of students?”
Educators should feel empowered and poised to take advantage of the many classroom-level practices that can assist them in learning about and cultivating relationships with their students. Here are five that I recommend in particular:
1) Begin the year with assignments that allow students to share experiences and interests. Most people want to share and want to feel heard. This is an easy opportunity for educators to learn more about individual passions and experiences.
2) Increase student voice. Make it a priority to talk with each child and learn more about them. Being an invested listener will increase trust with your students.
3) Attend extracurricular activities featuring your students. It means something to students when teachers take time out of their schedules to visit an activity they are involved in. I shall never forget the time my third-grade teacher attended my football game at a city park. Needless to say, I played at my highest capacity that game, and I remember feeling a great sense of pride that my teacher had supported me in this way. In the third-grade classroom, I remember putting forth more effort after this experience and looking at my teacher with an intensified level of respect.
4) Drive the neighborhoods of your students. Your level of empathy will increase if you know where your students come from.
5) Meet ALL of your students where they are. In theory it would be nice to have all students achieving at a certain level when they walk into the classroom. However, that is unlikely. By meeting students where they are you can increase student self-efficacy.
What is vital in developing connections is our own attitudes. When we think negative thoughts or speak negatively about a person that hinders our ability to connect in a positive way. As educators we must try our best to find positive aspects about each of our students.
Next Week at a Glance:
Wednesday, Sept. 4th: Picture Day at Warner
Wednesday, Sept. 4th: 1st & 2nd grade assembly at 8:45am (KDG pictures)
Wednesday, Sept. 4th: Early Release
- Quarter 1 at a Glance - look at essential standards and discuss pacing
- Q2 - How do we know our students learned it? Take a close look at formative assessments
- Begin planning Tier 1 Interventions and WIN time
Thursday, Sept. 5th: 6pm PTO Meeting at Harmony Park
- If you haven't set up your 15 minute meeting with me please do so.
- Final week to place apparel orders with ProLogo. If you need the link and code please contact me.
- Move This World will be ordered this week for any interested classrooms. So far I have 6 interested classrooms. Please let me know if you are interested.
- Bad news...we will not have Erin Kreger for Mindfulness this year. Her mom is dealing with some major health issues and Erin will be focusing on supporting her. She may still try and connect for occasional yoga sessions.
- Please complete your self-assessment in PIVOT before Oct. 1st