When ever I am asked to think of those students, there are always two that come to my mind. You know what I mean when I say "those" students. The ones that keep us up at night, the ones that rise our blood pressure, or the ones we just can't figure out. My two "those" students are very different. One is loud, always in trouble, never does his work, and constantly pushing his teachers limits. The other student is quiet, keeps to herself, but rarely completes any work or pays attention in class. Although very different, both of these students are often labeled as the kid that can't or won't, even I can fall into this belief some days, when I am exhausted from fighting against them.
I did two things though this week that helped. With the first kid, I shared an experience he could connect with. The first child often acts up because he struggles in school. He especially struggles in reading. I myself struggled learning how to read. One day in class I mentioned that, and how I was put in special programs but eventually improved. This student perked up, and asked me "you struggled to read?' I told him I did, and there was immediate change in his face. He was interested in learning about my experience, and relieved to learn that someone, a teacher even, also struggled. He listened to what I had to say the rest of the day, notes included, and did all his work. Will that last the rest of the year, probably not, but even if it doesn't I am still glad I told him. Hopefully he can see that just because you struggle now, doesn't mean he will always struggle. That he can do it. He is a kid that I truly wants to do well but often feels like there is no way he ever will. I am not going to say my story is thing that's going to change his life, I know I am not that powerful, but he I could see a genuine change is his facial expression and body language, he leaned up, look right at me, and gave me 100% of his attention, I could tell it meant something.
Stories are powerful and when we share our experiences as teacher we can help build relationships with our students that can have a lasting impact. It can also help with management and motivation, students understand you a little more, they can connect with you, and they can trust you a little more because they more about you. If you haven't shared a story with your kids, I highly encourage you to try it before break. Tell your students about why you decided to teach, talk about a struggle you faced, or share something that is meaningful.
Check back after lunch to read about the second student, the bell just rang, teacher problems...
I did two things though this week that helped. With the first kid, I shared an experience he could connect with. The first child often acts up because he struggles in school. He especially struggles in reading. I myself struggled learning how to read. One day in class I mentioned that, and how I was put in special programs but eventually improved. This student perked up, and asked me "you struggled to read?' I told him I did, and there was immediate change in his face. He was interested in learning about my experience, and relieved to learn that someone, a teacher even, also struggled. He listened to what I had to say the rest of the day, notes included, and did all his work. Will that last the rest of the year, probably not, but even if it doesn't I am still glad I told him. Hopefully he can see that just because you struggle now, doesn't mean he will always struggle. That he can do it. He is a kid that I truly wants to do well but often feels like there is no way he ever will. I am not going to say my story is thing that's going to change his life, I know I am not that powerful, but he I could see a genuine change is his facial expression and body language, he leaned up, look right at me, and gave me 100% of his attention, I could tell it meant something.
Stories are powerful and when we share our experiences as teacher we can help build relationships with our students that can have a lasting impact. It can also help with management and motivation, students understand you a little more, they can connect with you, and they can trust you a little more because they more about you. If you haven't shared a story with your kids, I highly encourage you to try it before break. Tell your students about why you decided to teach, talk about a struggle you faced, or share something that is meaningful.
Check back after lunch to read about the second student, the bell just rang, teacher problems...
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