Relationship-Building Activities

A caring relationship between a teacher and their students is a vitally important skill in maintaining successful classroom management. According to Marzano et al. (2003), they found that, “If a teacher has a good relationship with students, then students more readily accept the rules and procedures and the disciplinary actions that follow their violations” (p. 41). So, not only would caring for students improve their education experience into something more enjoyable, but it also makes my job as an efficient educator more productive with the students willing to follow the rules of the classroom. This interaction between students and teachers is also crucial because “devoting the first few days of the year, the semester, or the quarter to classroom management has the potential to ward off many future problems” (Marzano et al., 2003, p. 93). If I can avoid problems later in the year by simply being understanding and connecting with the students, then there is truly little reason not to do my best to cultivate meaningful relationships. A caring relationship, according to Milner et al. (2019), is also multifaceted; the four aspects of this, as articulated in the textbook, are “being student-centered, having high expectations, persistent practices, and partnership with families and communities” (p. 97). While the teacher being caring is a foundational part of this, this is not a one-way street. Respect must go both ways to have a fruitful relationship, so when giving my all, I hope that the students return the favor. To conclude, the research, and common-sense, reflects that a substantial portion of classroom management relies heavily on mutualism, and if I can create an environment where every student feels safe and understood, then I think that I will be more than satisfied and will expect to see impressive results from them.

Artifact One: bio poems

In the first week of school, I will give my students a bio poem assignment. Before handing out the assignment paper, however, I will show them all an example I made of myself:

Next, I will give them time for any questions they may have, and then provide them with the written instructions: Line one is your first name, line two is four adjectives about yourself, line three is daughter of/sibling of, line four is lover of (something, someone, somewhere), line five is who feels (something of importance to you), line six is who needs (two or three things you need), line seven is who gives (something you give to others), line eight is who fears (two or three things you may fear), line nine is who would like to see (a person, place, or thing), line ten is resident of (wherever you live), and the last line is your last name.

Connecting it to research:

According to Milner et al. (2019), being student-centered in my teaching shifts the focus from me to them, transforming “the learning environment into a space where students’ voice, knowledge, experiences, and other assets are centralized and amplified” (p. 99). I do not want the students to feel like I am a dictator of my classroom, where they have little room to speak up. I have experienced a teacher that cares little for their students, and I know how dehumanizing this feels. No one wants to be belittled or looked down upon, especially in a place that is supposed to encourage safe learning. With this assignment, I can find out more about each student in an exciting way, and this will help me throughout the year, as well. It is important to start the year off right, as I discussed in the first paragraph, but it is also important to carry this kindness over the semesters. The knowledge I gain from this assignment will stay with me, and I will keep their papers for future reference. If I can understand why a student is acting a specific way, then there is always a chance to help them, and this assignment allows me a first insight to how these students see themselves and what I must teach them to see themselves in a better, more positive light.

Artifact Two: a classroom constitution

In A New Set of Rules (2009), they explain how to write a collaborative classroom constitution with the students. To begin, I will ask the students what they think a person’s natural rights are in the world, not just in a classroom, and then as we brainstorm important rights, I will write them on the board. Next, I will ask them which rights and responsibilities are especially needed in the classroom, but I will also name a few non-negotiable ones like respecting other’s spaces and no fighting. At the end, I will write up a document with all the statements they all agreed upon, and they will all sign the bottom of the printed out, newly made constitution.

Connecting to the research:

An aspect of effective teaching is having a collaborative learning environment (Milner et al., 2019, p. 101). This group project at the beginning of the year sets the tone of my classroom for the future. Together, the students and I build a solid foundation and understanding of what is expected of them and of me, and I can hang this paper on the wall for the entirety of the course. In this way, the students will consistently be aware of what we all agreed upon, so if something occurs, I can calmly remind them of the classroom’s responsibilities. The research was clear when it explained how crucial a student-centered classroom is to maintain a successful, and well-managed, year. This assignment shifts the power from my hands to our hands, creating an understanding between us that we agreed and signed off. I will add the non-negotiables to show that even though we are in this together, there are some aspects that I must stay firm on, and this allows me to retain enough dominance to be respected (Marzano et al., 2003, p. 64).

Artifact Three: back-to-school surveys 

I received the following survey from Provini (2017) on their website, and I will put on everyone back-to-school survey and give them ample time to complete it.

Connecting it to research:

Milner et al. (2019) articulated how a “caring classroom environment has high expectations for all and provides rigorous, scaffolded lessons that are facilitated by a critically reflective teacher with deep belief in all students’ ability to learn at high levels” (p. 109), and to successfully understand the needs of the students, I need to further my knowledge on how they think they effectively learn. But to have elevated expectations of my students, I need to have high expectations of myself. I want them to tell me what works best for them to provide them the most valuable way of learning. Of course, it is almost impossible to cater to everyone’s needs, but if there is a pattern of what the students think works best, then I will be able to maneuver my lessons in their interest. The point of teaching, in my opinion, is to get students excited about learning and exploring their potential, so giving them surveys on the first day of class allows me to start the year already being both student-centered and setting expectations for myself and of them. This survey lets me understand who they are as normal people, and I will make sure to fill one out about myself for them to keep. I think every assignment I tell them to do, I should do as well, and in this way, they can see that I am willing to learn and experience new things alongside them. The research shows that setting off the year on the right foot, where they see I am only here to help them, should reduce future disciplinary issues and make for a more effective, and safe, classroom environment.

References

A New Set of Rules. (2009, July 6). Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development/a-new-set-of-rules

Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J. (2003). Classroom management that works: Research-based strategies for every teacher. ASCD

Milner, R., Cunningham, H. B., Delale-O’connor, L., & Erika Gold Kestenberg. (2019). “These kids are out of control”: Why we must reimagine “classroom management” for equity (Kindle). Corwin.

Provini, C. (2017, May 19). Back-to-school surveys: Get to know students | education world. Educationworld.com. https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/back-to-school-student-survey-questionnaire.shtml