Just before Passover I spoke to an educator in DC who is adopting an SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) process in his school. For him that means 1) developing strong relationships among students and teachers, 2) guiding students to be teachers and learners at the same time, and 3) moving from frontal teaching—and passive learning—to project-based learning, differentiated instruction, and cooperative learning. A key aspect of SEL is that students have a strong, positive relationship with their teacher, and vice-versa. In his blog on effective classroom management, Maurice Elias describes how critical this relationship is. “[Classroom management and learning] thrive only when there are trusting, respectful, caring relationships between students and teachers.” Relationships ultimately rest on trust or fear: “When the rules are based on trust, students feel freer to participate [and] problem-based learning can thrive.” However, “classrooms managed based on fear create disaffection and disengagement from the learning tasks.” So how do teachers and students build trust between one another? Teachers build trust when they: • Are reliable and consistent—come to class prepared, follow up as promised, act fairly toward all students, are predictable • Help students feel successful—provide work that interests and motivates students and is appropriate for their abilities, find ways to help students be leaders among their peers, provide regular feedback • Show a personal interest in students—choose class activities that engage all students, ask them about their personal interests, pay attention to their needs, challenge students to reach their full potential, sit down next to students and listen attentively, talk to students with respect, greet them • Develop a positive social atmosphere—smile a lot, make eye contact, work collaboratively with students, mix and match groups, give praise when it’s due, keep control, use humor! Students build trust when they: • Are reliable and consistent— see above! • Treat one another with respect—speak as they would be spoken to, avoid gossip, show concern for one another, demonstrate empathy, for example by inviting less popular students to be part of their teams or groups, cooperate in class activities • Tell the truth—communicate honestly, openly, and factually All good relationships are built on trust (think of your own strongest relationships!); teachers and students are no different. It’s the way the best learning happens.
