Hey there, teachers! Want to know the secret to a thriving classroom? It’s all about building fantastic relationships with your students and their families. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the importance of fostering strong connections, provide practical tips, and share strategies to boost student engagement and create lasting family connections. Don’t miss out on exclusive freebies – join the email list today!
Be Their Champion
As a teacher, you spend a lot of time with your students, sometimes more than their parents do. That’s why being their champion and showing that you care is so important. Listen to Rita Pierson’s “Every Kid Needs a Champion,” TED Talk for inspiration. Building strong relationships sets the foundation for a successful school year. By nurturing these connections, teachers can inspire their students to excel and minimize behavior issues. Get ready to be your students’ number one fan!
Get to Know Their Needs
Another way to build relationships is by getting to know your students’ needs. Ask them what they want in a teacher and make an anchor chart with their answers. This not only gives you insight into their values but also serves as an instructional tool.
Here’s an example of a chart from A Grace-Filled Classroom where she shares ideas to get to know your students.
See Their Rainbow
You can never underestimate the importance of making lessons engaging and interactive. When students are interested, they’re more likely to learn and succeed. However, it’s not always easy to connect to people who are culturally different from one’s self. Get inspired by Chris Emdin’s eye-opening talk, “Teaching and Being Rachetdemic,” which highlights capitalizing the experiences of students from different backgrounds to engage students and build relationships.
Dr. Emdin speaks about a belief he held about rainbows when he was a child. He shares that he didn’t believe that they formed over the part of town he was from. He urges educators to challenge that belief and see students’ brilliance in a different light.
Connect with Their Families
Likewise, connecting with families is as important as connecting with your students. Establish clear communication channels with parents and keep them updated on what’s happening in your classroom. Make sure to give frequent positive feedback and respond promptly to any concerns. Don’t forget to celebrate the small wins with parents!
Make frequent POSITIVE contact! It doesn’t have to be huge compliments on major achievements. The little day-to-day brags go a long way in building strong relationships.
- Tasha helped pick up trash when coming inside from recess.
- Juan pushed under another student’s chair.
- Blythe lent a sheet of paper to a friend who ran out.
- Stewart held the door to the library for the class.
- Regina was polite using excuse me, please, and thank you.
- D'Mario emptied the pencil sharpener without being asked.
Making Time to Connect
One thing that we’ve started at my school is having a work session to make positive parent contact. It’s so easy for those outside of the classroom to add to the never-ending list of tasks for teachers to do. We’ve incorporated this into our PLC time and we’ve had a wonderful response from both teachers and parents! Building strong relationships with students and families is part of our collective mission.
Contact logs also help you ensure that no student and no parent misses out on the positive communication. If you don’t have time (or willpower🤣) to make a contact log, I’ve got you covered! You can grab a free digital log now!
Teaching is Heart Work
Teaching is more than a job; it is a heartfelt commitment. Despite the challenges teachers face, the rewards are immeasurable. Teachers who focus on fostering relationships and creating a classroom community where students feel safe, empowered, and encouraged to take risks are those who make the largest impact. When you form strong connections with your students, you create an amazing school year filled with growth and learning.
Fostering Connections
Building strong relationships in the classroom is the key to success. By fostering student engagement and establishing strong connections with families, you can create a supportive and inspiring learning environment. Remember, when students know their teacher genuinely cares for them, their potential for growth and success is boundless.
Don’t miss out on upcoming lessons and exclusive freebies – join the email list today and let’s rock those relationships together!
One Response
I love being my students number 1 fan! It is hard work but you are correct. Connections between teachers and students and families can make or break a school year! I also absolutely love the video you shared of Rita Pierson. I have seen this video a number of times but it always gives me the chills! I also very much apprecaite the free digital log! Thank you so much for everything!
Warmly,
Mrs. M.