Day 137: My Magic Bullet

Daily Blog Challenge Day 137/365

I have recently discovered the magic bullet for teaching and it turns out it is incredibly simple.  The magic bullet comes in two parts: create positive relationships with all of your students and try everything that may help reach your students.

Now, I said these were simple, but neither one of these is easy.  Just another reminder that simple is not always easy.  The concept of positive relationships is simple, but we all know that it is not always easy to do this.  We need to stop looking for the programs or curriculum that is going to cure our problems.

The bottom line is people work harder when they feel cared and respected.

There is no cookie cutter approach to being a great teacher.  All great teachers look different, act different and do different things with their students, but I am confident that ALL of them try a variety of ways to reach their students and they ALL have positive relationships with their students.  Despite all of the differences, these are the two core similarities.

I have been having issues with a few of my students and I was reminded during a conversation with a coworker that I should focus on building (rebuilding) a positive relationship with these students.  Again, it may seem like the simple answer, but I strongly believe that relationships are key.

What is the first thing you look at when you are having issues with students?

Thank you for reading.