Connection: A Surprisingly Easy Answer
In my time teaching, I have been immensely blessed in the realm of connecting with kids. It's something that comes fairly naturally, and it's also something I enjoy doing. There are definitely kids I still struggle to connect with, but I have found two fairly straightforward strategies work for me:
Strategy #1: Respect the kids as human beings
Strategy #2: Use humor as often as possible
From the moment kids come in the building to the moment the buses pull off, you can find me making fun of kids (and them making fun of me). You can find me asking them questions about how things are going (even when I should be listening better). You can find me running down the halls, slapping kids on the neck and making fun of their shoes.
This is how the kids and I build up a positive classroom culture in Room 11. I give respect and humor to gain respect in return, engagement in the classroom, and the kids' trust.
It all works pretty well.
Strategy #1: Respect the kids as human beings
Strategy #2: Use humor as often as possible
From the moment kids come in the building to the moment the buses pull off, you can find me making fun of kids (and them making fun of me). You can find me asking them questions about how things are going (even when I should be listening better). You can find me running down the halls, slapping kids on the neck and making fun of their shoes.
This is how the kids and I build up a positive classroom culture in Room 11. I give respect and humor to gain respect in return, engagement in the classroom, and the kids' trust.
It all works pretty well.
Year One: "Is Mr. Hart fair or unfair? Why?" |
Year Two: "Is Mr. Hart fair or unfair? Why?" |
Below are kids' responses to my end-of-year survey at the end of my first year (they are answering the above question).
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Below are kids' responses to my end-of-seond-nine-weeks survey halfway through my second year (they are answering the above question).
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Caring: Snapshots
Below are a few windows into the way I show the kids that I care and the way they, in return, show that they care.
The slideshow below details the day I drew caricatures of some of the kids on the whiteboard while they worked. It turned out to be very entertaining, and they worked hard (and quietly) so I could have drawing time.