.png)
.png)
Hello EduMagicians! Welcome back to another exciting episode of the EduMagic Podcast! I'm Dr. Sam Fecich, and today, we’re diving into a critical topic for future and new teachers: building relationships with students to support classroom management.
I’m thrilled to have Ashley Tetter on the show, an experienced educator who shares invaluable insights into how forming strong connections with students can make a world of difference in your teaching journey.
Why Relationships Matter
Ashley’s teaching journey began in 2016 in a kindergarten classroom, where she quickly learned the importance of relationships. From her experience, she emphasizes that relationships are foundational to effective classroom management, but they don’t stop there. They’re about understanding students as unique individuals and continuing to nurture those connections throughout the school year.
Strategies for Building Strong Relationships
Ashley shared some fantastic strategies that she uses to build and maintain positive relationships with her students:
Student Surveys: At the start of the year, Ashley conducts a student survey, but instead of asking typical questions like favorite subjects, she dives deeper into their interests, such as favorite cartoons or book series. This helps her connect with each student personally.
Two-by-Ten Rule: Ashley spends 10 minutes daily talking with two students each week. This simple yet powerful strategy helps students recognize that their teacher genuinely cares about them as individuals.
Ongoing Engagement: Throughout the year, Ashley continues to engage with her students based on their interests, whether it’s choosing a specific read-aloud or attending their extracurricular activities. These actions reinforce that she’s invested in their lives inside and outside the classroom.
Turning Challenging Relationships Around
Building relationships isn’t always easy, especially with students who have experienced trauma or are difficult to reach. Ashley shared a touching story of how she successfully turned a challenging relationship with a student into a positive one by consistently showing care, patience, and understanding. This student, who faced significant trauma, eventually opened up and formed a strong bond with Ashley, showing the profound impact a dedicated teacher can have.
Balancing Professional Boundaries
For new teachers, maintaining professional boundaries while being approachable can be tricky. Ashley offers advice on striking the right balance—emphasizing the importance of setting clear expectations early on and focusing on academics alongside relationship-building. By doing so, students understand that while their teacher cares about them, the classroom is also a place for learning and growth.
Creative Classroom Management Ideas
Ashley also shared some creative classroom management strategies introduced by her student teacher, such as:
Name Sticker Charts: Rewarding students for consistently putting their names on their papers, which helped improve organization and accountability.
Pencil Management: Using travel toothbrush holders to keep students' pencils organized and rewarding them for maintaining their supplies.
Building strong relationships with students is key to effective classroom management and to creating a supportive and engaging learning environment. Ashley's experiences remind us that the effort we put into understanding and connecting with our students can lead to a more harmonious and productive classroom.
Comments