Module 6
In this last week, my students were even more loud and excited because this week was homecoming week and spirit week at school so each day my students were dressed up. This was nice because I was able to connect with my students because I dressed up as well. This allowed my students to see me in a more personal way and connect with me as well. In most of classes, I am working to find my personality in the classroom with my students. Because I am so young, we listen to the same kind of music for the most part, so I find ways to include lyrics from songs when possible and add some fun to the classroom.
While I am doing this in the classroom, I am still trying to remain professional. The balance between fun and professional is difficult and I am airing on the side of caution by trying to stay professional, so I may seem boring to my students at times. I am working to create the environment in my classroom where I can be more fun and involved with my students as I show them my love for math. Lately, I have worked to build relationships with my students to understand their interests in order to make the material more fun to them. I have worked on this through questioning my students who are off task to find what they like, talk about it with them, tell them what I like, connect, and then finally work them through the problem. This process is difficult because I only have to do this in my two large classes where several students are off task regular or refuse to learn.
Teaching my students is difficult enough already, but working to get students who see no value in education and students who do not want to get involved is much harder. This is what I am currently struggling with. As a teacher, I have taken a vow to reach and teach all of my students even if my students do not want to learn. It is hardest to reach these students, but it is also the most rewarding when one of those students does demonstrate understanding and learning.
You are working on the balancing act of forming relationships with students but not going over the line to be seen as a peer. You are the adult, teacher, role model, and coach. You are working towards being an effective teacher that encourages and support the students. It is important to set a positive tone and model for the students what perseverance looks like and how to ask questions to overcome what they don't know. Also, try and make sure students understand that you like them even though they don't understand the material. Many students associate not doing well in a class with you not liking them and not wanting to help them. Making sure students know that you can and will help them is of the utmost importance. Offering times that might work for them other than class time might also be seen as supportive and helpful. Also speaking to them privately is very important, so they don't feel singled out. Please let us know if we can assist. You've got this. SZ and AL
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