Routman begins this chapter recalling a conversation with another teacher who mentions the words, "You must bond with her if she's to learn anything at all" (p. 12). A teacher must create a genuine friendship with his/her students to actually be able to fulfill his/her teaching responsibility. Otherwise, there probably no learning going on with the students. Bonding is a "human essential." If we don't feel that someone (the teacher) knows us, cares about us, or connects with us, we will resist any efforts on the part of that someone to actually teach us.
Bonding for a teacher means giving to rather than demanding from children (p. 13). Routman talks about how the teacher must be liked by her students versus liking her students. She can and should do this in many ways such as modeling strong read alouds, sharing writing that surprises the students, sharing a love for words in expression and voice, and showing facial expressions and body language that demonstrates enthusiasm. In other words, the teacher must be inviting to the students. They should want to be with her and be excited that she is their teacher and they are a part of her classroom.
Important points to remember when looking to bond with all the students are to look for successes for each child. Find a interesting statement they wrote or comment they made and praise them for it. Make the curriculum you are using relevant to your students' lives. Also be sure you are challenging all the students, extending their learning through activities and discussion. It is vital that a teacher be respectful to her students and their families. Respect, tolerance, compassion, and courtesy are behaviors that we are constantly modeling and practicing as we get to know our students and bond with them.
We need to strive to make our classrooms a safe haven where students feel welcome, included, and unafraid to share their lives. Part of creating this environment involves shared decision making. Students should be part of deciding the classroom rules, procedures, and arrangement. Let them help figure out how their classroom should be...it is their home too!
Another very important point that Routman discusses is the importance of stories. A teacher needs to tell her story of herself, her family, her life. I think if the teacher makes the stories more personal rather than general, the students will gain perspective of their teacher and see the teacher as a real person. Stories need to be about successes and failures. Also let the students share their stories. Value every story a child tells...this is vital to bonding with that child. And remember that the Read Aloud stories are one of the most critical parts of the child's day. They allow the child to hear rich language, learn vocabulary and new information, and helps create the love for reading we, as teachers, are desperately trying to create.
I love the way Routman ends this chapter. He tells us to enjoy our students and to celebrate our lives. "If we want our students to be excited about learning, they need to have teachers who relish learning, who are passionate about reading and other interests, and who find the classroom an inspiring and thrilling place to be."
I think that says it all!
As we began our last school year our school principal asked us what was the one thing that we could do for our students to help them learn. As she waited teachers responded with "teach them the vocabulary", be faithful to the curriculum, state objectives, differentiate instruction, etc. Then she said, "You must care for your students." Fast forward 10 months to our end of the year MAPs testing. Our fifth grade teacher took a class with around 30% students proficient and turned it into 55% students proficient. When you questioned him about what strategies he felt made such a difference, he couldn't really tell you. In our principals opinion it had more to do with the relationship he had with his students. She felt that they would do anything for him, even score proficient on a test. Yes, we do have a vast amount of strategies to choose from, some effective, some not, but what we really need to focus on is our relationship with our learners.
ReplyDeleteI agree that relationships are very important. In the book that I'm reading, Wilhelm talks about focusing on what the student can do and not what they can't. Focusing on the "can't" can lead to poor relationships where the students feels unacceptable in your classroom. A relationship like this is detrimental to learning. Relationships are the first building stone in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! That is the best, most important part of teaching. The relationships with the students is what brings me back to the classroom every day. Students would do their best in my class and other classes, because they knew I cared about them.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great point! Getting to know the students is the first step in the classroom. If this doesn't happen, the level of trust most likely wont be created and learning will not take place. Students learn best if they feel they are in a safe environment. This cannot happen if a bond is not created with the teacher. Mutual respect is vital in the classroom. I have a countless number of stories where teachers demanded respect but did not return it. This is the fast track to getting no where in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteGetting to know your students creates a bond that helps with learning. There must be a genuine interest in the students and their wanting to succeed. At times, we lose sight of what we are trying to do because we are busy trying to keep to schedules and get so much covered and accomplished but if we have established a relationship with our students we know what they need and do our best to give it to them.
ReplyDeleteYes, bonding with our students and supporting a strong classroom community is always beneficial. I don't think many teachers realize how important establishing a community of learners is. If students feel valued then ultimately they will never truly feel comfortable or try their best. Students also need to feel a closeness with teachers. Students should know their teachers are people too.
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