...a story of connection....I knew I wanted to be a teacher by the time I finished the first grade. While I don’t remember any of the teaching strategies that my first grade teacher, Mrs. Moore, used or any of the content even; she made such a profound mark on me that I knew when I was 6 years old what I was going to do with my life. What I remember about her class was that I loved being there. I remember she loved cows and had cow decorations all over. I remember that she talked to me and engaged with me about things that were happening in my life. I remember that I knew she liked me. My younger brother was hospitalized during this year as a result of having a stroke, so Mrs.Moore frequently entertained me after school during the times that my parents had obligations at the hospital. Reflecting back on Mrs. Moore, and adding in what I know now, I can see that Mrs. Moore excelled at relationship building and that set her apart from my other teachers. While I have always enjoyed school, that first grade year I remember with such fondness. The following year my younger brother (who made a remarkable recovery from his stroke) had Mrs. Moore for first grade as well. Over those two years, my mother and Mrs. Moore had developed a friendship. I remember going to her house to go swimming and being delighted that her house had an equal amount of cow decorations as her classroom. However, that year Mrs. Moore was diagnosed with cancer. While I do not remember the details of her cancer, I know it was quick moving as she passed that school year. Her funeral was the first I ever attended and I remember that despite my sadness, I wanted to be just like her. Flash forward many years, and I remember thinking about Mrs. Moore the day I walked in my college graduation with my bachelors degree and my multiple subject teaching credential. I remember smiling that I had completed it despite many people trying to argue me out of it because “teachers make so little money.” I knew from my first grade experience that I was not going into teaching for the money, I was going into to make a difference for kids. So bottom line, how are you communicating to kids that you like them? That they are valued? How do you create connection with kids? 3 Tips to Creating Connection 1. Greet them at the door and look pleased to see them. Not kidding. Kids want to believe that each and every day you are just as equally happy they are there as the day before. 2. Ask them questions and listen to the answers. For real. Ask them what they did on the weekend. Listen to their answer. Then ask a follow-up question. Remember what they told you on Friday about the weekend, then ask on Monday about it. 3. Be neutral in the face of crisis. Kids want to be heard. They want you to be on their side. When a student is reporting their version of events, be as neutrally pleasant as possible and seek to understand and make them feel understood. (ex: "Wow, yes. I can see why you felt so offended when that child looked at you funny. That must have been really hard.") Do you have tips? Share them in the comments! #bettertogether
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Dianne
10/13/2016 08:09:17 pm
This made me cry for all the right reasons. Thanks for sharing!
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Dianne Brunner
10/13/2016 08:38:16 pm
I LOVE this post Jamie! Mrs. Moore sounds like she was an amazing teacher. She would be so proud of you! Personal connection is everything! That "listening" part is so important, but can be so hard (it's the time thing), but I try to follow up on things they tell me too. I take every opportunity I can to give my kiddos specific compliments and tell them how lucky I am to have them in my class. Your students are so lucky to have you!
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Ventura County Teacher of the Year 2016.
On a journey: Special Ed Teacher, Mentor, EdTech Advocate, Book Nerd, Knitter, Risk Taker, LA Kings Fan, #Whole30 lover, #SVTChat, GCE Level 1, Daring Greatly Categories
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