Good relationships in the classroom lead to better learning. Students need to feel safe, accepted and appreciated. A scared or angry student doesn’t learn well. I know this from my own experience as a student. I learned the most from the classes taught by teachers who treated me with kindness and respect.
It’s likely that relationships between students and teachers are more difficult during the current pandemic. A virtual connection with a teacher isn’t the same as in-person contact. The same might also be true even for those students who are attending school in person. Masks covering the faces of teachers and other students create an additional barrier to relationships. While not impossible, it’s harder to judge a person’s mood or attitude when you can’t see their face.
A post on today’s Educator’s Room blog provided some insight into building relationships. The author, Thomas Courtney, is currently teaching his students virtually. He reflected on his experience as a child watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and thought that perhaps distance learning teachers could gain some insights from Fred Rogers’ experiences on TV.
FRED ROGERS, GENIUS
Mr. Rogers Was a Genius, Virtual Learning Showed Me How
When distance learning began, I thought perhaps that one of the bonuses to being virtual would be an ability to recreate that for my elementary school students. I used videos from youtube-I even made videos of myself. Something told me that this unlimited supply of visual and verbal experience would blow what Mr. Roger’s gave us right out of the water–that CONTINUE READING: 2020 Medley #25 – It’s Always Been About Relationships | Live Long and Prosper