“Withitness” (p. 202). What a great term. This chapter reminded me of when we were supervising our student teachers. How a look, your proximity to the child, the activity, etc. can make such a great difference with classroom management. You know, I’ve met a lot of teachers, especially special education teachers, who teach their remedial students in a repetitive manner drilling every day. How fun is that? No wonder they don’t show their talents and prosper. How boring. It may be that they’re bored…not that they’re not capable. Sure they’re well behaved, but are they learning? It means a lot to children if you can relate to them. It builds rapport. My husband is in investments. He can tell you first hand that if you cannot relate to your customer, they won’t invest their life savings with you. You’ve got to build a relationship. Teaching is much the same way. If you can’t relate to your customers, our students, they won’t invest their time and energy into what you’re trying to teach them.
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February 21st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
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3 Responses to “Ch 4 Classroom Management by Oakes & Lipton”
So true! I do find that enough conversation woth a child will show a teacher how they can relate to each other. It may be a mututal interest in a sport, it may be in a life situation. I have a child who father’s in prison. I found a way to relate to him because my father has passed away. So, even though my father is not around, I know he still loves me. And that’s what I told him about his father. It just takes more time to relate to some than others. But, you are right, it can be done!
February 23, 2008 @ 1:15 pmI completely agree Jen. Building a rapport with students is so important. Not only will they be more likely to show you what their capabilities are, but they will also be more likely to confide in you when they have a problem and/or are struggling in class. We have to make sure that we are fostering the kind of environment that makes our students feel safe and comfortable. I truly value the relationship I have with each of my students and I plan to work throughout the rest of the year to continue to build on those relationships and make them even stronger.
February 23, 2008 @ 1:57 pmJen,
February 24, 2008 @ 8:53 amI agree with you…building relationships with our students is a key ingredient to having a successful classroom of learners! With our special needs children, it is equally important to build relationships with their families. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten students in my classroom who were deemed unmanageable by other teachers and they were precious angles for me. All it took was the time to really get to know them, and to build a relationship based on trust, respect, and an appreciation for their diverse needs and talents!