Fostering student-teacher relationship

The core of student-teacher relationship is the capacity of coherent communication ensuring healthy inter-personal relationships between students and teachers, asserts Usha Dinakaran

Teachers have different types of classroom personalities in their interactions with students. They would broadly be trifurcated into three broad personality profiles of teachers – some who are stiff and professional with their students – but believe that their sole task is to deliver knowledge.  Another kind of teacher believes it is necessary to develop a rapport with the student. The third type of teacher is indifferent to whether or not the students have connected with his/her lectures. This variety is neither strict nor friendly. To that extent the teacher’s personality profile would determine the nature of the student-teacher relationship.     

The student-teacher relationship is critical to facilitate student learning. An ideal student-teacher relationship is based on communication, trust and respect which may encompass both personal and professional dimensions. A teacher must be able to transmit knowledge to instill adequate confidence in the student and thereby command their respect. The manner in which a teacher articulates his or her thoughts to a class of students in terms of clarity and simplicity makes all the difference to classroom dynamics.

The teacher should have an element of trust and respect in their relationship with students and in turn they will automatically reciprocate such behaviour pattern towards their teacher. To that extent the teacher-student relationship confers rights and responsibilities on both parties and minimises the likelihood of student mistreatment, and optimises the educational experience.

Eventually a teacher is evaluated on the basis of both their professional knowledge along with their day-to-day personal behaviour in a class room environment. It is similar to the way in which patients would assess a doctor who has pleasing bedside manners.
Another aspect of the student-teacher relationship is mentorship where the teacher has the scope to share knowledge with the student. It lends a personal dimension to the relationship and thereby alters the dynamics of the student-teacher relationship. To that extent mentorship proves to be among the most satisfying aspects of teaching at the school or college -- to develop a strong and everlasting bond between the teacher and student.

When students recall their years at college, they invariably remember their teachers with fondness owing to the different facets of the student-teacher relationship. The mentor transmits his or her wisdom, success and experiences to the student. 

The mentor should be able to further the skills and intellect of the student through a healthy and professional relationship. In a bonding relationship, the student should be frank to air their views to the mentor. Invariably, opportunities are bound to arise to get glimpses of each other's personal lives, yet despite such close relationship -- the teacher remains a ‘teacher’ and the student a ‘student’. 

However, this close relationship at times reduces the student-mentor gap which tends to become personalised. It would be the responsibility of teachers and institutions to help and ensure appropriate student-teacher relationships.

Student-teacher relationship has the potential to influence a student’s academic outcomes. Personality clashes also comprise a component of this relationship. The core of this relationship is the capability of coherent communication skills to ensure healthy inter-personal relationships in the student-teacher bond.   

As students evolve they are expected to acquire a more responsible and accountable attitude. Occasionally incidents of unprofessional behavior real or perceived directed towards students are bound to occur. In some situations teachers could also be guilty of indulging in behaviour characterized by ridicule, favoritism, exclusion or deliberately demeaning towards certain students be a reality. 

Inappropriate behaviour should be avoided at all cost as it compromises the integrity of the educational process in a teacher-student relationship. For instance, this includes unwanted physical contact, sexual harassment, discrimination, making students perform personal chores, verbal harassment, humiliation or belittlement in public or private,

misuse of grading and other forms of assessment in a punitive or self-serving manner are actions of unbecoming conduct which a teacher should never resort to.

At times exploitation of the student's dependency and trust is witnessed to meet one's own needs.  Teachers may tend to treat students differentially, not because of their academic excellence, but because of a personal regard or attraction. Sometimes teachers may share personal information in their interest rather than that of the student.

Therefore, it is important for teachers to know and understand the boundaries that characterize the student teacher relationship and the need not to violate them.
Teachers need to treat students fairly, respectfully, and without bias related to their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion or nationality.  Students must be able to distinguish between insightful questions which act as a stimulus to learning and discovery and overly aggressive questions aimed at humiliation. To make a mark amongst the student fraternity and to safeguard their own respectability, a teacher must be prepared and punctual for all activities. 

Every teacher is unique and has a personal style about how to deal with situations and so are students. The role of a teacher is certainly not to be a parent or counselor, even though in practice they work at the psychological level.

Teachers must encourage students to question them in the classrooms in order to promote analytical thinking. Such an approach inspires students to read and enable these questions to challenge them and view their success as a partial reflection of their own professional expertise and devotion to them.

(The writer is an Assistant Professor, Department of Hotel Management, Christ University, Bangalore.)