One teacher that has been given lots of credit for being someone students feel comfortable to talk to and be themselves around is Ms. Ende. She is the religion teacher everyone prays to have because she is honest, kind, and a great listener. One student that has an exceptional relationship with her is junior, Gabi Novickas. These two can talk to each other for hours on end, but it wasn’t always like this.
“I would like to say it took Gabi and I around 2-3 months to become close to each other,” said Ende. Although it’s not easy for other students and teachers to have such a bond, when there is a will, there’s a way.
“Students are more willing to learn and pay attention when teachers find ways to relate and understand their students,” said Novickas.
Some teachers often forget that students are also human beings. It’s hard to have an understanding of how a student learns and to get their attention when teachers are more focused on the lesson itself. Students will have better reactions and results to ideas and techniques that can relate back to their life or mindset on learning. The differences among students include whether they are visual, reading, or listening-type learners. When teachers add explanations to their lessons with more modern concepts it can make things more comprehensive.
“I feel when my students and I have a nice bond or respect for each other, they are more attentive and responsive in my class,” Ende said.
Students show more interest in classes when they are excited to see their teachers. Some reasons would be: they get to talk to their teacher about their day, learn about the subject being taught, or they feel like they can breathe and belong in the class. As a result, they don’t need to stress about struggling without help.
Simple questions like, “how is your day going?” or asking about weekends, can bring students opportunities to talk and get to know and share with their teacher.
The responsibility for bonding doesn’t fall on the teachers alone. Students need to be willing to reach out and talk to teachers. Stronger bonds in class can help students freely participate more and strengthen their knowledge.
