Meaningful Interactions
It should come as no surprise that students can get bored during class, but aside from changing up their lessons and routines how can teachers truly engage students? Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) note, "more that one-third (35 percent) cited no interaction with a teacher as a primary cause of their boredom". Therefore, teachers need to work to build bonds with their students by interacting meaningfully with them every day. According to CSU-Global (2015), "A teacher's characteristics (e.g., non-directivity, empathy, warmth, and the ability to adapt to differences) are all strongly associated with behavioral outcomes, motivation, ability to think critically, and mathematics/verbal achievement. Having educators who attend to their social and emotional needs may be more important than how they teach." (Module 4: Interactive Lecture, p. 4)
Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) offer a number of ways that teachers can interact with their students. These include:
Furthermore, Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) suggest that teachers "consciously reach out to all students in their classrooms, getting to know them and their interests and communicating with them." (Be Supportive, Item 6, I get to know my students, para. 1) The authors again provide several ways that teachers can do this. Specifically, Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) state that teachers can:
Teachers need to let students know that they care about them, and by caring for their students, teachers can get them to engage more in their lessons and invest in their learning.
Another way that teachers can create meaningful interactions is by inviting students to give them feedback on their teaching while at the same time personalizing feedback that they give to students. Teachers can also strike up casual conversations with students about their lives. (Goodwin & Hubbell, 2013) Additionally the authors encourage teachers to develop classroom personas that are different from the personas they have when they are outside of school. Personas that are not overly serious and model an enthusiasm for learning work best. If a teacher can also reveal some of themselves to students through the use of personal anecdotes, then a teacher can show students real-world relevance in their learning. (Goodwin & Hubbell, 2013)
All of these techniques are effective ways of showing students that teachers care about their students and make learning more personal.
Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) offer a number of ways that teachers can interact with their students. These include:
- Greeting every student as they come into class.
- Calling on every student during each class.
- Making time for interactions during class.
- Communicating verbally and nonverbally.
- Learning students' names quickly. (Be Supportive, Item 6, I interact with every student every day, para. 3-7)
Furthermore, Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) suggest that teachers "consciously reach out to all students in their classrooms, getting to know them and their interests and communicating with them." (Be Supportive, Item 6, I get to know my students, para. 1) The authors again provide several ways that teachers can do this. Specifically, Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) state that teachers can:
- Create opportunities for students to share their interests and talents.
- Provide-and pay attention to-student learning choices.
- Encourage students to make personal connections to classroom material.
- Just ask. (Be Supportive, Item 6, I get to know my students, para. 2-5)
Teachers need to let students know that they care about them, and by caring for their students, teachers can get them to engage more in their lessons and invest in their learning.
Another way that teachers can create meaningful interactions is by inviting students to give them feedback on their teaching while at the same time personalizing feedback that they give to students. Teachers can also strike up casual conversations with students about their lives. (Goodwin & Hubbell, 2013) Additionally the authors encourage teachers to develop classroom personas that are different from the personas they have when they are outside of school. Personas that are not overly serious and model an enthusiasm for learning work best. If a teacher can also reveal some of themselves to students through the use of personal anecdotes, then a teacher can show students real-world relevance in their learning. (Goodwin & Hubbell, 2013)
All of these techniques are effective ways of showing students that teachers care about their students and make learning more personal.
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To access Item 7- Giving Useful Feedback please click here
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