How Do You Bond with your students?

When I was in Middle School I'll always remember my teacher Mr Morrison. This is the only teacher's name I can remember from my school days, and do you know why? It's because he was able to build a strong bond with all of his students. Can you remember a teacher like this? I loved music, and still do by the way. Every morning he would get out his guitar and we would all sing a song that we students took turns in choosing from a list he had created. What a great way to start the day! 

As a teacher how do you bond with your students? In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the bond between teachers and students has always been crucial. However, in recent times, this bond has taken on even greater significance. The bond a teacher makes with each of their students matters more than ever now and the long-term positive impact they have on their students is critical. 

How come bonding with your students matter?

So does a teacher-student bond really matter? Yes it does. You see, it's all about building a connection. Also wouldn't you agree that, in today's world both adults and children are having to face many of life's challenges, both at school and at home.  When a student feels connected to you, they are more likely to share how they're feeling when it comes to their emotions, their concerns and even their anxieties. 

Create a bond when differentiating your instruction for your students. 

The book I've written and soon to be published, with my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Janet J. Sawyer, Teachers Are Amazing...That's Us! talks about how to tailor and differentiate your instruction to meet the individual needs for your students. By doing this a bond will naturally occur for you with each student. Teachers who understand their student's behavioral style strengths and weaknesses and who can tailor their instruction to meet those needs, can also foster a sense of self-worth.   

It's all about increasing confidence and self-esteem. 

We all know that teachers play a significant role in creating an environment that supports students to develop confidence and self-esteem. And it starts with students having a willingness to bond. By the way, this can have a lasting impact. Also when a student feels a deep bond with their teacher they will be more willing to receive constructive feedback, and less likely to engage in disruptive behavior. After all if I was teaching in the classroom, a would much rather be focusing on teaching rather than having to manage behavioral issues. 

Here's a couple of tips for creating a teacher-student bond...

Communicate with each student the way they like to be communicated to. Some styles like you to give them the facts in short sentences, whereas other styles love it when you personalize the way you interact with them. Here's an example of communicating facts in a short sentence, "Well done Peter, your assignment is on track. Can you please hand it in by the end of the week, and let me know if you need any further support".

Now to speak it in a more personalized way you would say, "Well done Jane it looks like your assignment is nearly there, and I love the colored pens you have used. Please hand it in by the end of the week, and if you need any support, let me know".  You see, Peter doesn't really care that you like his colored pens, as he just wants to know that he's on track, and wants you to "Be brief, be bright and be gone". "Just please give me the facts", is what he's thinking.

Whereas Jane likes more personalized feedback, so she would have liked it when you  mentioned her colored pens, and know doubt would have engaged in a conversation about where she bought them and why she chose the colors she did. 

​Create a supportive and inclusive classroom culture. We all know that fostering a supportive and inclusive classroom culture helps your students feel safe and motivated.   It's also about creating a culture where students from all cultures feel respected - Honoring others through our words and actions, and treating every person with dignity and courtesy. Students will feel comfortable speaking out, asking questions and taking chances, if they feel valued and heard, no matter what culture they come from. 

And last but not least...model positive behavior. As a teacher, you are a role model to your students. So, make a conscious effort to demonstrate kindness, compassion, empathy and active listening. When those conflict moments arise between students, support and guide them to resolve this conflict in a peaceful and respectful way. 

For those of you who would like to read our soon to be published book, Teachers Are Amazing...That's Us!, keep and eye out for my blog post over the next month, as I'll be sharing and posting some of the content from the book and also the Amazon link where you can purchase a copy.