Maintaining effective relationships

1. Maintaining effective relationships • The extent to which the teacher gives students the sense that they are providing guidance and control both behaviorally and academically • The extent to which the teacher provides a sense that teacher and students are a team devoted to the well being of all participants Two complimentary dynamics that constitute an effective teacher/student relationship: “It does not matter how (the teacher) feels on a given day, but it does matter what he does.”

2. A fine line between dominance and cooperation • Actions steps split between those that communicate cooperation and those that cooperate dominance

3. Action Steps • Know something about each student • Interest inventory • Parent-teacher conferences • Familiarity of local culture of students • Behaviors that indicate “affection” • Greet students with positive comments • Pictures of students with feelings about class • Take an interest in students’ extracurriculars

4. Action Steps • Personalize learning with student interests • Emphasize differences & similarities, i.e., comparing, classifying, metaphors, analogies • Physical Behaviors that communicate interest • Smile • Appropriate hand on shoulder for encouragement • Look into eyes • Proximity • Look interested

5. Action Steps • Humor • Playful banter • Sayings • Play on words • Jokes • Laugh at self and with students • Consistent enforcement of +/- consequences • Clear learning goals • Rules & procedures • Consistent application of rules & procedures • Actions

6. Action Steps • Emotional Objectivity • Emotions are natural & inevitable • Monitor your thoughts & emotions; corrective actions • Reframe • Maintain cool exterior • Avoid Extremes! • Eliminate negative behaviors • Substitute positive behaviors • Respectful tone • Look without staring or glaring • Maintain appropriate distance • Neutral or positive facial expressions