Building Rapport with Students
Building rapport with students is absolutely necessary to have a controlled classroom.
Hi William,
You make a good point about how to move the development of students along. They need to see how important it is to develop respect for each other while learning the content. Many of them lack the social skills needed for workplace success and by showing and modeling for them what is appropriate behavior in a professional setting you are getting them ready for career success.
Gary
I try to build a rapport with students by treating them like humans not like they are inferior, but at the same time as though I can help them gain knowledge. People in many situations will try to push the limits of expectations, this is human nature. Let them know that you will give your all to them but if they are not giving it back then you efforts will have gone to waist. Some students will not be respectful at first, but by showing some leadership ability, for example giving them a situation in life where you had to take charge of a situation that will impress them, you can gain their respect. Not all students will be swayed by this but many can be and those that can not are few and far between.
I like the 3 f's, I believe the same way.
I tend to agree w you Scott. When they see that you will not be biased and you will hold your ground then they know where you stand and tend to open up to you more. You're a known predictable quality, so to speak.
Hi Scott,
Well said. I like these three F's. They are simple direct and explain it all.
Gary
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for sharing this example. It is simple in terms of class management. Either you are going to be in charge or the disruptive students are. You, even though it was your first class, decided you would be in charge. As you mentioned the results were positive and you gained valuable knowledge on how to manage student behavior.
Gary
I have been teaching for 13 years and I have found that the three f's work the best.
The fair and firm before the friendly.
Regards,
Scott
While teaching my first class, I had two very disruptive students. Because it was my first class, I was unsure of the best way to handle the situation. It may have been uncomfortable, but in addressing the issue upfront, the other 30 students in the class realized that type of behavior was unacceptable. I was still able to build a rapport with the class, but there were expectations that were clearly defined and upheld. This allowed for a class that was enjoyable, with boundaries.
Hi Stephanie,
Class control is something that you have to establish from the very beginning. Outline your expectations as to behavior. Then hold to those expectations. This will set the tone for the class.
Rapport comes as you develop a relationship with the students and get them settled into the course. You can have rapport with the students and still maintain a clear code of conduct for the class. They will respect you if you are fair and consistent throughout the course. Don't be afraid to address the situation and the students directly about their behavior. For example I don't allow cell phones to be seen in my class. They can put the phones on vibrate in case of emergencies. After a couple of class meetings I always have a few students start to text on their phones. I stop, they look up at the silence and I look them in the eye. Generally this ends any problems with texting. If not I talk with the student privately about the problem. If that doesn't work then I call them out in the class. Very seldom does it ever get that far, but if it does they know I will address it. I have had these same students come back and thank me for upholding the standards for the course because that was of help to them in their careers. This is a part of rapport.
Gary
How do you build rapport but also keep your professionalism and authority? I have a group of students that constantly try to get away with things in my class.
