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Many people believe that how and what the students learn in class is based on the lessons or the curriculum that is provided. The truth is, that the rapport between students and the teacher is very important. So much that the relationship between the students and teacher plays a vital role in not only having an enjoyable classroom environment, but also fundamental to having successful students. Establishing a good and positive rapport between students and teacher is very important in order to have a good classroom environment. How good would a lesson plan be if there is not a good bond between students and teacher. If the students do not respect the teacher and vise versa, the students will not be motivated to learn. When students are not motivated to learn, the lessons will not stick to the students' minds and therefore making the lessons unsuccessful. Having rapport creates conditions that is conducive to learning. Just like any relationship in the world, communication and understanding between parties is vital for it to harmoniously work. The ESA teaching method always starts with an engage phase. For me, this is also a way of establishing rapport subconsciously. It relaxes the students right from the start and by having the teacher interact with the students in a relaxed manner, it shows the students that the teacher is not this pure professional person and that the teacher actually cares about what the students did the previous day or other events that happened. By asking about the students' individual personal life and incorporating it in daily interactions, it gives the students a feeling of having a level playing field between them and the teacher, therefore building rapport on a personal level rather than a teacher who is viewed as a professional. It shows that the teacher is approachable which gives the students comfort in the classroom and will be more open to participating in class activities. The teacher's attitude plays a role when building rapport. A teacher must be open minded and have a positive mentality. It is easy to get frustrated and get mad when students make the same mistakes multiple times, but having a teacher that is patient and positive will be able to handle the situation better and will show the students that the teacher cares and believes in them and in their capabilities, which will then boost their confidence, further enhancing rapport. Getting to know the students in a more personal level helps with establishing rapport. Getting to know their interests, dislikes and opinions. Being able to relate on topics and having conversations with the students would all contribute to having a good rapport between the students and the teacher. When the teacher knows more about his or her students, it creates this open environment and communication gets better as teacher learns more about each student. It will give the teacher information on how to address individual students. Overall, I believe that establishing rapport between students and teacher is just as important as the lessons itself. Through my own personal experience, I find that the classes where I had a good relation with my teacher were the subjects that I enjoyed the most and achieved good grades. They were also the classes that had a lasting impression on me.
