A positive student-teacher relationship

Students look upto their teachers as their guide and mentors and a teacher should not let them down, writes Alvina Clara.

We all want to feel cared for and valued by the significant people in our world. Teachers and students are no different. In the educational world, there exists a consecrated bonding between the teacher and the students. Students after their parents admire their teachers especially certain traits like confidence, dedication, warmth and sincerity, looking upto to them for priceless guidance.

Healthy relationships with teachers have imperative, constructive and enduring implications for students' intellectual and collective development. Teachers who foster optimistic relationships with their students create classroom environments more conducive to learning and meet students' developmental, emotional and academic needs.

 If a student feels a special connection to a teacher, experiences recurrent communication with a teacher, and receives more direction and extol than denigration from the teacher, then the student is likely to become more trustful of that teacher, show more engagement in the academic content presented, display better classroom behavior, and achieve superior levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and uphold their desire to learn. It channelizes two individuals to grow together nurturing each other in a supportive environment.

The relationship between a student and teacher is that of understanding each other's requirements and coming to provisos with each other's expectations. When the teachers bonds with the students, she owes a lot of responsibility towards them to make them very holistic. Strong teacher relationships manifest into various forms such as

nTeacher’s help students reflect on their thinking and learning skills, show them the mirror, where they stand and where they ought to be.

nTeachers show keen interest towards students learning, development and progress with genuine interest in their betterment.

nTeachers interact in an approachable and reverential manner welcoming supportive feedback from their students in order to give them the best.

nTeachers offer students help (e.g., answering questions in timely manner, offering support like extra reading materials, handing over study notes , clarifying doubts and apprehensions, solving their personal impediments) in achieving academic and social objectives.

nTeacher’s gains insights about individual student’s backgrounds, their aspirations, interests, emotional strengths and academic levels.

n Teachers barely ever show irritability or aggravation toward students and refrain from unwarranted reprimands. They give time and space to their students being tolerant of their mood swings and distractions.

nTeachers go that extra mile to support students not just in scholastic pursuits but also extra-curricular activities, for job preparation, selection and placement too.

With teachers actively engaging in nurturing the bind with students, it is also a prerogative of students to cultivate right attitudes and commitments towards their teachers for fostering healthy bonding between the two.

Here are some ways:

Firstly, Students must keep in mind that teaching is not just a noble profession but also a daunting responsibility. The teacher is like a candle that consumes itself to give light to others.

Teachers have extensive workload of reading, updating themselves, preparing lectures for classes, assessing and evaluating test performances, grading, ranking students etc with additional college administrative tasks. This may at times coerce teachers to sacrifice their personal commitments at home front for the sake of making the students more quipped with accurate knowledge.

Students must appreciate the teacher’s efforts to make the topic more comprehendible in class.

They must equally reciprocate by preparing well for classes by coming well-read, studying the cases given, analyzing and solving problems or assignments etc. When mutual reciprocation is depicted, it motivates the teachers to give in more zeal towards better teaching and obviously cultivating more comforting bonds.

The student must respect his/her teacher, holding him/her in the highest esteem. The respect must be genuine as a person and they must empathize with teacher.

It is a necessary prerequisite to also trust the teacher in all matters concerning the student’s development.

The student must believe that the teacher always has his or her best interests in mind. Any reprimands, criticism, feedback or advices given must be taken in stride for alleviating the level of the students, rectifying their pitfalls and correcting them wherever wrong.

Finally, the student must commit himself or herself to following the teacher’s instruction with paramount discipline, for only then can the intended effect be achieved.

In synopsis, optimistic student-teacher relationships can be developed through fertile daily interactions, conscious efforts to connect and win them over. These bonds not only contribute to a positive classroom environment, but it also improves the quality of school life for both you and your students.

Students look upto their teachers as their guide, mentor and well-wishers and it’s the teachers prime duty to never let their expectations down. Students are teachers trained lot, who must grow into successful individuals creating their own identity in life to make the teacher proud.  Students superseding progress is the greatest joy that a teacher can get. Always cherish and keep the bond intact.