Building rapport with your students is an integral part of being an educator. When teachers connect with students on a more personal level, it is easier to build trust and understand their needs. This also provides the perfect opportunity for teachers to form friendships which can create an environment that is rich for learning. Although building rapport doesn't mean being friends with each of your students, it does provide you with the ability to manage class behaviour better when necessary.
Fostering positive relationships with students helps them feel comfortable, leading to better academic results and higher levels of engagement at school. Students who feel comfortable will typically behave better because they know the teacher understands them and is concerned about their wellbeing. By building rapport with students, teachers will find that they can accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.
The following are some ideas to help you build rapport with your students:
Be open and friendly. If a student passes you in the hall, acknowledge them and smile at them. Say hello during the passing time if appropriate for your grade level or when they enter your classroom. Even saying "good morning" can make a big difference.
Relax and have fun. When you have a good time, the students around you will also have more fun. Be enthusiastic about what you are teaching, your class rules, procedures etc.
Also, laugh at appropriate times.
Use humour appropriately to help build rapport with students. Of course, this doesn't mean being a comedian in the classroom, but it does mean being able to laugh at yourself or with your students. A funny story about yourself, an interesting fact you've read recently, or an everyday situation can help create a relaxed environment so that students are comfortable enough to give additional information.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to building rapport with students, but there are a few tools that can be used.
Some of these tools are:
1) Having a sense of humor.
2) Using an interactive teaching style (Not doing the same thing everyday).
3) Building relationships outside the classroom (ask if they saw "the game").
4) Taking student’s feelings into account and understanding their needs.(put yourself in their shoes)
5) Giving feedback to students in a timely manner and in a constructive way. (Yes! Use Digital Tools to Get Than Instant Feedback.)
The relationships between teachers and students can be a major factor that influences student engagement. If a student doesn't feel like they are being listened to or if they feel like their opinion is not valued, they are less likely to want to participate in class. One of the best ways to build rapport with your students is by using the right tools.
Reference:
Social Psychology Network. (2021). Creating rapport in classroom: Retrieved from:https://www.socialpsychology.org/rapport.htm
Comments