Part 1: Tools, Strategies, and Theories for Creating Meaningful Relationships
Relationships are an essential part of teaching, as people are relational beings. They preface how teachers interact with students and also how learners interact with one another. In this first Module, we did personality tests to see what type of personality we possess (Glasser, 1993). It was interesting to see how my counter parts, who are extroverts, would react in certain situations. I found this personality test very useful because it gave me a lot of insights to interpret the behavior of each student. Moreover, it guided me to tailor specific activities and learning tools for each student's specific needs.
Every person in the society wants to feel cared, loved and valued irrespective of age or class. Students are no different. Understanding this relationship is powerful towards forming discipline in the classroom. Teachers have a great deal of power over the learners as they control their destiny for the better part of the day. Valued students have the feeling of recognition as individuals and will voluntarily comply with instructors' wishes (Bennet " Smilanich, 1994). Quality classrooms meet the needs of students and improve their lives. Creating relationships is inevitable to allow professionalism. Meaningful interactions foster mutual respect and exchange of ideas. It is very satisfying and assists in fulfilling the needs for belonging and acceptance.
Teachers' personality determines classroom achievement for the learners. Extraversion, for instance, has higher effectiveness scores compared to introverts. Intuitive skills help in creating trust, creative collaboration, and understanding as well as the enjoyment of support from one another. The students feel the joy in their natural state and endowed with tools will establish a long-lasting transformation. Consequently, the teacher meets the needs of students.
Part 2: Doing Worthy Work
In this Module, we discussed and learned about doing worthy work and what that means for our students. A teacher constantly faces the tension between teaching interesting things and teaching what is required. Education is moving back towards a constructivist view where students are encouraged to guide their own learning in areas that interests them.
Relevant learning entails effective classroom achievement. The situation force teachers to rethink their lesson plans. Good performing teachers have the deeper understanding of their subject. Again, teacher as a learner approach help link between classroom performance and school improvement. A curriculum expert helps in building a deeper commitment towards teaching (Glasser, 1995). Expertise enables teachers to offer learners with varying ways of approaching the subject under study.
The learning environment must be supportive. There should be relevant and meaningful activities that emotionally engage the student. Instructions must coincide with knowledge in their possession thus help in building neural connections and retention. Useful work is engaging and increases focus, attention, and motivation to exercise critical thinking. It enhances meaningful studying experiences. Useful doe not mean pragmatic and what is taught does not have immediate relevance. It appears useful if viewed in a wider context. Learning should not follow the curriculum. The learner must feel that the subject is worth and may lead to something in the future (Pierangelo " Giuliani, 2000).
Part 3: The Classroom as a Place to be
The classroom setup has a significant effect on learner's attitude towards studying habits. Students learn effectively in an organized, comfortable and stimulating environment. It entails making the physical layout, enough supplies and studying material as well as encouraging students a sense of ownership and belonging (Larrivee, 1999).
Children come from different backgrounds and home experiences. Children enduring abuse at home may bring violence to class. The teacher need not ignore these tendencies rather should discipline the child and teach better ways to find solutions. A great way to do this is through classroom meetings, where students can participate and to give suggestions of what is an appropriate behavior. Safe classroom environments are to have consistent expectations and clear set rules. The guidelines strengthen student-student collaboration in the long-run. Safe environment entails students optimizing their learning. Similarly, collaborative decision making improves safety as students learn to respect and support each other. Teachers implement rights and needs of learners through care and emphatic listening.
Gender equality in the classroom is an issue that was raised in this Module. Studies have shown that learning is more tailored towards how females learn and that males receive much more affirmation than their female counterparts (Pipher, 1994). Proper educational environments are those that exercise fairness between male and female learners. Equal opportunities in classrooms begin with teachers who treat students with fairness and establish environments that participation by all students. It is prudent to establish equal behavior and academic expectations for all. The seating plan should support equal participation. The teacher interacts well with students sitting close to them. Altering seating arrangement offers learners a chance to seat near the instructor. Additionally, group work enables both male and female to participate and contribute to class activities. Educated people grow up healthy and have an equal opportunity of finding jobs. Both boys and girls need support to get an education and it will have an impact on the future generation.
References
Glasser, W. (1993). The quality school teacher. New York: Harper Perennial
Bennet, B., " Smilanich, P. (1994). Classroom management, a thinking, and caring approach. Toronto: Bookation.
Pierangelo, R., " Giuliani, G. (2000). Why your students do what they do and what to do when they do it. Champaign, IL: Research Press
Pipher, M. (1994). Reviving Ophelia: Saving the selves of adolescent girls. New York: Grosset/Putnam
Larrivee, B. (1999). Authentic classroom management: Creating a community of learners (pp. 149-156, 162). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn " Bacon.
Glasser, W. (1995). The control theory manager: Combining the theory of William Glasser with the wisdom of W. Edwards Deming to explain both what quality is and what lead-managers do to achieve it (pp. 18 - 24). New York: Harper Business.
