How much do we know about our students? Do we know who they live with? Do they have pets? Do we know how many siblings they have? Do they have any other brothers/sisters/cousins at your school? One of the most important things to have in a classroom is positive relationships with students. It won’t solve all of the problems, but it can help with some.
When I was pursuing National Board Certification, I had to take a step back and analyze what I do to build knowledge of my students. When you are in the classroom each day, sometimes you don’t realize that you are taking steps to build those relationships. What I found was that I was doing more than I thought I was!
At the beginning of each year, we would do the traditional getting-to-know-you activities. We would bring in items or photos from home and talk about the importance of each item or photo. We would also have a student of the week and slowly learn about all of the students in the class. I always want to know more about my students. I would also talk to the previous teacher as a way to understand my students a little bit better, but the most powerful way I learned about my students was in a one-on-one setting.
One of the best pieces of advice I received as a teacher was the 2 by 2 approach. In that approach, I talked to two students per day for at least two minutes by themselves. It could be done at any time during the day. Sometimes I would just ask them to sit with me during their independent work time and we would just chat for a few minutes about whatever they wanted. I would also do this on the way to specials, at recess, or at parent pick-up, for just a few minutes. I learned so much about my class that way! I learned so much more about my students when just having casual conversations with them one on one. It is hard to find time in the day to talk to all students each day, but carving out just a few minutes a day can make a huge difference in building a strong and healthy relationship with your students.
Another way I got to know my students was by asking their parents to fill out a survey about them. I asked specific questions about how they get home and who to contact in an emergency, but I also asked questions about how they get along with others and what they see as their child’s strengths and struggles. In the primary grades, parents were always fairly honest about their children. Older students can fill out the same type of survey about themselves and have discussions with the teachers in the same way. Some teachers would keep these student surveys until the end of the year and give the survey back at the end of the year and reflect on the personal growth they have shown throughout the year. It was powerful to listen to the introspective conversations a 5th grader would have with his or her teacher about themselves. There are a number of ways to build relationships with students and we all know that it can make life as a teacher easier. It won’t solve all of the issues that arise in a classroom, but it can help. What are ways you build relationships with your students?
Image from reputationtoday.com
Sarah Kirchoff
Sarah Kirchoff is an instructional coach in Mesa Public Schools. She has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. She began her teaching career way back in August 1999, when everyone was worried about Y2K. She did not even have computers in her classroom at that time! Since then, she has taught first grade for four years, preschool for three years, second grade for two years and kindergarten for twelve years. She has worked for three different school districts during her teaching career. During this time, she has been able to identify which grade she found to be the most enjoyable. Her greatest teaching passion is for kindergarten. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. She was teacher of the year at her school in the 2019-2020 school year. She became a National Board Certified Teacher as an Early Childhood Generalist in December of 2020. She currently serves on numerous committees at her school including school site council, the instructional leadership team, and the culture and climate team. She is a mentor teacher at her school and has mentored numerous interns and student teaching candidates. When she is not busy with school commitments, she spends time with her family. She has a husband who is also a teacher, and four children. Two of which are students at NAU and two that are in high school. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading books and spending time with family, friends and her two dogs. Children need a teacher that is always advocating for them, socially, emotionally, and academically. Sarah wants every student she encounters to realize their potential and she is willing to help in any way she can. The impact early childhood educators have on students reaches far beyond their younger years. Sarah wants to leave a positive impact on her students so they can continue to have wonderful educational experiences beyond her classroom and school.