Five Ways To Show Students You Care
“How do you show students you care and love them?”
Someone asked me that this afternoon. And every other week. Shout-out to the other eighth grade math teacher who asked it. I’m not about the touchy-feely stuff; I prefer to discuss techniques, strategies, and content where possible. I prefer to talk about race, class, gender, and take long walks in the city. I prefer to make sarcastic comments where possible, and tweet about the sociopolitical implications of the actions and inactions of our society.
I prefer to tell you that you shouldn’t show too much emotion on the first day. But I’m lying about that last part.
Because the five ways you show students you care is really about closing the gap between the person you are outside the classroom and the person you are in the classroom. That’s why these five rules are gonna take you real far:
- Show them.
- Show them.
- Show them.
- Show them.
- Show them.
It’s really simple. As I’ve found over the years, I can’t keep the straight face too long, and it’s more stressful to do so. I used to be a proponent of “no smiling until November,” but I noticed that, as I became better as a teacher, I needed to let that act go. Students respond better to teachers that overtly Five Ways To Show Students You Care | The Jose Vilson:
