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Connecting with students
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 Unless
you are successful in connecting with students at least to some
extent, you may have little success when trying to instruct them
as well. The trick, I think is to try and relate to the kids somewhat.
Try to collect a little data, as they say, on adolescent and teenage
pop-culture. Maybe you can bring up a topic completely unrelated
to school, or, if it seems to be going in that direction already,
let them perhaps go on a little about whatever they are talking
about before class begins. Maybe not right away, but soon try to
“fit in” to some of their conversations.
I already know what you are thinking: “but that takes away
from our class time”—right? Well, let me ask you this:
would you rather have a longer class unable to reach your goals
of connecting with students, no matter how hard you try during the
lesson, or would you like your students to like you—think
of you as “hip” or whatever they call it these days,
and pay more attention in class? Of course, you would prefer the
latter. So to sacrifice a few minutes of class time before the lesson
begins can help you in connecting with students. What are you sacrificing,
really, if your students will pay better attention and have more
of a respect treat you like family as well as a connection to you
as their instructor?
• Another method is to be funny:
Try to joke around with your students, think of yourself as an
educational entertainer.
When I was in the sixth grade I had a teacher who we all loved,
he was funny and his class was the first of the day—which
put all of us in a better mood for sure. One of the things he did
was create nicknames for many of the kids in class. He said funny
things and was very witty. He got into our conversations and put
in his own, silly remarks. By the time he asked the class to settle
down and read their books or begin the discussion we all had smiles
on our faces.
This is the kind of teacher I aspire to be. Really connecting with
students by learning their language and, despite the generation
gap, be able to understand better where they are coming from.
• You want to know them as individually as possible:
It is very important for you, when trying connecting with students,
to become as familiar with their circumstances as possible.
I once had a professor who would come to class early (as many of
us also did) and even if it cut a bit into lecture time, that was
ok. He would walk around the room and ask about personal stuff like
“how’s you mom?” if someone’s mother had
been sick. Or, “How are you doing, Katie?” in the very
least. He went around using everyone’s name and really showing
genuine interest in him or her.
In fact, the only students who would leave class on time—at
those times when the lecture was still going—were those who
had to go to their next class right away. An even larger amount
of students would stay to talk to this professor after class had
been officially dismissed.
Another luxury of being a professor is than sometimes your student
is there to fill a general education requirement, and other students
are genuinely interested in the material. The professor of which
I speak teaches English Literature, a subject for which he is enormously
passionate. Therefore, he was so enthusiastic when he lectured that
the class became very involved with the discussion and were full
of great ideas and interpretations of their own. I have never seen
a teacher so talented at connecting with students—not because
he wants anything for himself, but because he truly cares about
them.
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