Building effective relationships

Building effective relationships

 

The beginning teacher needs to establish collaborative relationships with other teachers in order to teach effectively. Cultivating a support network for sharing information about students and teaching practices is crucial to effective practice and developing resilience to stress. Teachers also develop relationships with the community through caregivers and families and become part of teams and committees within the school. However the most important relationships a beginning teacher will develop are those with the students they teach. This is the essence of teaching (Bell,2011).The learning environment they create with these relationships and how they connect with students impacts on students and shapes their learning.

Teachers develop relationships with students by connecting with them on a personal and emotional level. They find out about them and show they value them so they feel that they belong. One of the major barriers for establishing positive relationships is deficit thinking. Deficit thinking is a two way process. It influences relationships by impacting on the way both parties interact. Bishop et al (2003) cites successful learning outcomes for Maori students result from positive non judgmental  classroom relationships. Similarly research had shown that boys are relational learners and that personal connections with teachers as a necessary precondition for effective teaching and  positive learning outcomes(Reichart,2010).

The other relationships that impact on a beginner teachers practice are those that come from within but are projected outward and impact all other relationships: Spiritual relationship with God as the fount of all knowledge and with Jesus as the Master Teacher on whose practice they model their own teaching. Jesus developed relationships with his students by establishing” some  point of contact with his hearers on  a spiritual or physical plane”.Pazmino,(2001).The final relationship is that which the teacher has with themselves  ,”at home with our own souls we become  more at home with each other”.(Palmer ,2006) enabling them to forge those  critical connections that are at the heart of teaching and learning.

 References

Bell,B.(2011).Theorising teaching as a relational practice.

Bishop,R. &Berryman M.,(2009).The Te Kotahitanga Effective Teaching Profile.

Palmer, P. 2006.The courage to teach.p7.

Pazmino,R.(2001).Jesus,the Master Teacher .in Anthony,M.J.(Ed.).(2001).Introducing Christian Educators :Foundations for the twenty-First century.Grande Rapids.Baker Academic.pp111-124

Reichart,M. &Hawley,R.(2010) Reaching boys.An international study of Effective teaching Practices. PDKintl.V91N4