In order to succeed in learning, it is important to build positive relationships in the classroom. However, as teachers, we sometimes don’t take the time to learn about the students, which causes barriers to learning and makes small conflicts difficult to handle. As teachers, we are faced with the pressure to cover content while also judging various additional responsibilities (Himmele & Himmele, 2017). Investing time often to learn about the students helps create an environment where they can succeed. Improving students’ relationships with teachers will cause the student to trust the teacher more, be more engaged in learning, behave better in class, and do academically well in school. Because each student is unique in their way, it is hard to understand them on the first try. By asking questions and listening, teachers understand students better than before (Marzano et al., 2003). It is wonderful how students open up to teachers once they realize how much we care about them. Below, I will discuss three activities that I will use to build relationships with students and between students.
The first activity I will use to learn more about my students is the just-like-me game. At the beginning of class on the first day of school, it is important to learn my students’ names. After taking attendance, it is also critical to learn more information about the students at the beginning of the class, such as their favorite subjects, favorite colors, favorite movies, and favorite animals. Without understanding my students, I cannot create a motivating environment for the students to learn or provide personalized instruction. I must know my students—not just their names—in order to create an efficient, effective, student-centered classroom (Milner et al., 2019). I can develop creative ways to engage my students to learn and work by knowing what my students like to do. For example, some of my students like to learn the information better visually than listening to me talk about it. In this case, I can provide these students with slides or printouts for learning. This game deepens the relationship between the students and me because we learn the similarities between each other, and we can connect with them. By utilizing the just-like-me game, not only can I get a better understanding of my students, but I can also get the students to feel that they are valued and important.
To start the just-like-me-game, I will have my students get down in a circle on the floor. I will then give statements that my students might share. For example, I like to play in the sand, I have two sisters, or my favorite color is blue. The students will then stand up if that statement applies to them and says, “just like me” (True, 2015). Once they say that, the students sit down. Then, from where I sit, the student next to me will give their statement, and the students will either stand up or sit down. The next student will give their statement, and this will continue until all the students have a turn to go. Through this activity, I hope my students feel the classroom is a safe environment to learn and that other students have the same experiences or interests as them and that they are not alone.
In addition to the just-like-me game, another activity to build a relationship with my students is show-and-tell. As show-and-tell takes a lot of time, it is beneficial to plan for five to ten minutes each day at the beginning of the school year. Show-and-tell gives my students the opportunity to talk about topics they are interested in or share things they like in front of their peers. This activity enhances self-esteem and helps students develop good communication skills (Marzano et al., 2003). While this benefits my students, it also benefits me as a teacher. I can use show-and-tell to understand what my students like to do, and I can do an informal assessment of abilities. I look for the student’s language and speech skills, self-esteem, social skills, and emotional needs (Milner et al., 2019). Paying attention to my student’s interests is a good way to build relationships with the students and create a sense of family and comfort in the classroom.
On the first day of school, I will bring some things I like, such as the violin, because, in my free time, I like to use the violin to play music (Gray, 2009). After I finish, I will request the other students to bring something in that they want to share with the class. It can be a book, a photo of themselves, a paintbrush, or a basketball. This will continue until everyone has the opportunity to share. In addition to speaking in front of the classroom, it is also important to be part of the audience because students learn to respect since they have to listen carefully to people other than me. Furthermore, students can put forward their opinions and ask questions. Show and tell causes the students to realize that they can have something in common, and this can lead to friendships to form. My goal for this activity is to have fun with students so that we have time to get to know each other and get out of our comfort zone.
In addition to building relationships between students and me, it is also important to build relationships between students throughout the school year. To achieve this goal, sharing weekly reflections at the end of the class every week is a good way to start. Weekly reflection is an excellent way for students to reflect on what they have learned, the problems they encountered, and the goals they hope to set for the future. The reflections give students the opportunity to take control of their learning. I can get the students to start discussions about what’s going on in the classroom, and the students can then share their achievements, challenges, and weekly objectives. Through these small discussions, other students and I can help the student come up with strategies and solutions to improve their learning, and it also shows that we care about the student. Letting students have a chance to talk can let others know that we have different opinions or perspectives (Milner et al., 2019). For example, one student can say that they are struggling in this area, and another student can express an opinion on how to help the student overcome this difficulty. Through this activity, I hope the students learn to build trust and feel like they are respected because they open themselves up.
In order to start the weekly reflection, I will pass a piece of paper to each student at the end of the weekly class time. This paper will ask them what they have learned this week, what they are struggling with, and what goals they will set next week. After the students fill out the paper, I will ask the students to form small groups to discuss their weekly reflections. Each student will take turns to speak, and the other person must provide feedback to the student who is speaking (Kobialka, 2016). As the students discuss their answers, they can get different perspectives to help adjust their way of learning and make connections. With this activity, my goal is to increase students’ engagement and interests and to provide myself with feedback, so I can determine whether the students understand the materials.
As excellent teachers, we have the power to maximum each student’s learning potential in their class. They understand that the key to unleashing students’ potential is to establish a positive and respectful relationship with students from the first day of the school year. The process of building a positive relationship with the students is challenging and time-consuming (Himmele & Himmele, 2017). However, through these three activities, the classroom environment will become more active and available for students to learn. Having a group of students who trust and respect each other can create a prosperous classroom and provide fascinating learning opportunities. As a future teacher, I will use these relationship-building activities to help my students succeed both inside and outside the school.
References
Gray, D. (2009, October 16). Show and tell. Game Storming. https://gamestorming.com/knowledge-game-show-and-tell/
Himmele, P., & Himmele, W. (2017). Total participation techniques: Making every student an active learner (2nd ed.). ASCD.
Kobialka, J. (2016, May 10). 7 reflection tips for assessment, empowerment, and self-awareness. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/reflection-assessment-empowerment-self-awareness-james-kobialka
Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J. (2003). Classroom management that works: Research-based strategies for every teacher. ASCD.
Milner, H. R., Cunningham, H. B., Delale-O’Connor, L., & Kestenberg, E. G. (2019). These kids are out of control: Why we must reimagine “classroom management” for equity. Corwin.
True, K. (2015, September 10). Icebreaker: Just like me. Womens Ministry. https://womensministry.net/icebreaker-just-like-me/