These articles focus on the relation between teacher and students, on three different but interrelated aspects: The first one on general good relations between the teacher and the students, emphasizing nurturing, supporting relations; the second one how language should be used to positively shape learners; and the third one on how to reach and help to succeed the 'fragile' student.
And we are talking here on a recurrent but not for that easy nor simple subject on education and in REACH: How we teachers, and the schools in which we teach, can create an environment in our classrooms where the relation between teacher and student goes well beyond the simple transmission of knowledge, to a much closer, understanding, supporting and caring relation, as expressed on the subtitle of the article, "The key to achievement is connecting students with teachers who support them not just as learners, but also as people".
And this is not as easy road. We talk about it. We know is good for us, as community, as country, as persons, and overall, is good for our students, the new generations, etc., but to translate it to a daily life activity, considering how some of us feel already, overwhelmed with the current level of work and involvement we have, it is the great challenge.
And I do not want to say that this is not possible to achieve it, but requires a constant effort, a permanent activity of reaching the level of personal, caring and involving relation with our students, until start feeling that our efforts are being fruitful and then you see that it is rewarding.
In my personal experience I would say that, immerse into the field of education in the US these last 8 years in high and middle school, I being doing more and more conscientious effort to reach more and more students and trying to be an element of support in their learning process. But how I said initially, it is easier to talk about it than do it.
As it says in part of the reading "Teachers need to make special efforts to show a personal interest in and interact positively with students whom they find most difficult to teach -by going out of their way compliment positive behaviors, showing an interest in the students' lives outside school, listening to the students' perspectives on the problems they are having, and collaborating with them on developing strategies to address these problems".
And that "The most difficult-to-reach students will often go all out for a teacher who demonstrates caring for them as individuals and commitment to their success".
The power of our words or how do we use language in class, "what do we say and how do we say it", has a profound impact in our students, according to the article. The language we use should be encouraging, with recognition and prizing -academically, listening and understanding. It gives us five guiding principles for positive language:
1. Be direct
2. Convey faith in students' abilities and intentions
3. Focus on actions not abstractions
4. Keep it brief
5. Know when to be silent.
Reaching the fragile student article, talk to us about creating an "inviting" environment for many students that have "failed" in other schools, talk to us about "proactively cultivate 'intentionally inviting' practices that welcome all students into the culture of learning". And keep this attitude until you see the signs of success.
All and all, again, excellent and beautiful expressions, experiences, but not easy to achieve. We are all in this process and hopefully we will use the techniques in the best way we think will benefit our goals of success for our students.
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