3 Things Most Students Want to Hear from Teachers

3 Things Most Students Want to Hear from Teachers

I'm an assistant professor at the Marian University School of Education. A year and a half ago, I decided that I had to go back to K-12 classes and basic education, tests, basic standards, differentiated teaching, and emotionally reconnect with children and adolescents. I haven't done this in years. But in this one and a half year, when I went back to the classroom, my educational environments, my experiences and my own learning have developed and changed tremendously.

I asked the university to drop some courses. I continued the lessons and researches for early adolescence. And after three semesters, I still discover, sometimes fail, sometimes celebrate success, but every day I walk the path of my newly graduated students with my own steps and share all of these experiences with those who are transitioning to teaching.

I take classes in the fifth and seventh grades in different schools. I'm learning more than I can imagine. But I think that in the process of teaching and mentoring the privilege of hundreds of students I've heard of the three basic issues or even words, the biggest lesson I've learned in my life.

I conducted a survey of students and teachers with the following questions:

What words does the teacher say are encouraging and motivating for you?

What do you want to hear from your teacher about your situation or performance at school?

The answers I received from various educators and students in four schools in different regions confirmed once again the importance of social acceptance and feeling olarak felt içinde within the schools.

1. Believe Me

"I believe you. One day you'il be successful. You'll make it! If you follow what I see in you, nothing will hold you! ”

Believing in someone means seeing what cannot be seen. Conflicts, bad moods, rude behavior and bad choices, even if they have some consequences, still require focusing on things that go well and right. We must be “detectives ın of the missing pieces that we know exist, even if they are not in the middle. We need to create experiences that offer the student opportunities that he feels he can do. We know our students well, but we can still get stuck with emotional and academic habits. Then you can try:

"I believe you! Let's just make a plan together for tomorrow. Let's choose two things you want to see completed and accomplished, and let's find a way together to make them happen. ”

2. Purpose

In You have a purpose. I see it and I feel it. Let's have some fun and discover what happened. Your goal may change. This is a good thing. The goal is always there! ”

How can we help a student to find his or her own purpose? We start by confirming this: var You have a purpose! Iz We listen to the things and signs that the student is interested in. We respect the days and times when we have no clue. We'il try again. We tell stories of other people who lost hope and purpose but tried again and again. J.K. Rowling, Bill Gates, Michael Jordan and Walt Disney are among the few celebrities who define their goals from mistakes and failures. We talk about gifts of failure and failure. And how we can choose to learn from these deceptive moments of despair if we want to. We create a purpose for these students at school and in our classrooms. We invite students to serve each other. Perhaps a student will tutor a younger student or help to plan a surprise meal for the school gates and the cafeteria staff. Perhaps it will support another student who is experiencing various difficulties at school.

Maybe we'll connect to a nursing home via Skype as a class and talk to another generation who has left behind the complex years of puberty and befriended by middle school students and happy to communicate with them. Nowadays out-of-school trips are much less. However, we can invite people with their own goals and abilities to our class as guests. These people can share their work with the homeless, young people in prison and other social organizations that encourage volunteering, and ignite students' aspirations.

3. Ask Me

Listen to the demand from the students, but not much talked about:

Ask me how I am. Ask me what I need. Ask me about my thoughts and feelings. Even if I give funny answers because I don't want to go out in front of my peers and ask me to ask my opinion. Ask me personally. Always private. Ask me to teach you something about my world, my culture, my favorite music, my beliefs and my story. I may not say a word. It might take me a whole year to answer your questions. But I hear you. I hear your compassion and interest in the things I love, the things I need and the plans I want to make.

When we help each other, our own feelings change. When we act with transparency, awareness and perseverance, our perspective expands and we get into positive feelings while our own sense of purpose increases.