Teach English in Xiaodian Zhen - Rizhao Shi

Establishing rapport with students is an essential and vital part of the teaching experience. If the students are unhappy with the relationship they have with the teacher or they do not like the teacher for any reason, then a barrier is placed in the way of the teaching and learning. First impressions are vitally important and there are a number of ways to set up your class for success that should be followed. One simple way is to be prepared. This has many levels, firstly being on time as this shows you respect the student’s time and that you are leading by example for rule-following. Secondly, be prepared in terms of the class organization. This means having a clear engage, study, activate method of teaching, with group discussions, activities, conversations, vocabulary, worksheets and games all pre-planned in order to have a good flow throughout the class time. This will eliminate any disorganization that will distract the students and also shows the teacher has come prepared and values the students learning time. Therefore organization can greatly impact the rapport. On another level, students may be intimidated or uneasy with a teacher’s mannerisms and attitude. So what can be done to help put students at ease? Firstly, welcoming students when they arrive can help. Also, smiling can show openness and approachability. Learning the student’s names can be vitally important too, making sure to learn all names and not just a select few as the teacher can then equally spread out questions to all students and will help with any favoritism. The teacher could also introduce himself or herself briefly and give their name on the board so that students know how to address the teacher if they need their attention. I also think that laying out a couple of helpful bits of information can help students be at ease within the class, such as explaining the location of the toilet and that students are of course free to go as they need. Gestures can also be important to building rapport as pointing can seem aggressive and intimidating, while an open hand is more inclusive. Teachers should, of course, show respect to students and this is possibly the most important way to establishing a good rapport. For example, if a student is struggling with a concept and is embarrassed the teacher should never be rude or condescending about the student’s abilities as this will only serve to cause the student to stop trying and speaking allow for fear of further embarrassment. Gentle guidance and praise should be used. The teacher should not talk too much or talk over the students, instead allowing a student the opportunity to get to the end of a sentence or point that they are trying to make. Knowing the difference between errors and mistakes can help with this, as not every error needs to be instantly corrected, especially in the engage and activate stages. This would hinder the student’s chance to self-correct or talk time. In order to build rapport, a teacher should also be wary of the amount of time they spend with a student and should give individual feedback in a polite and simple manner. It is also incredibly important that as a teacher of English as a foreign language, the teacher is culturally sensitive of each student’s background and steers away from sensitive or highly charged topics of political or cultural content that may offend, upset or make students uncomfortable. Also, a teacher can arrange a class in a way that is sensitive to any issues between students or in a manner where students of a certain age or interest can sit together. Of course, a teacher should show enthusiasm for teaching and for the development of the students’ language. Showing passion sets an important tone for the classroom. Eye contact is another rapport building tool. It is important to look students in the eye, especially when addressing them but also staring may make a student uncomfortable or looking at the same students when speaking will make for an awkward class. Also, it is ok to have some light talk with students and even a joke, when appropriate of course. This can help everyone relax into the class. Allowing students the time and space to speak and be heard will help with the relationship that the students have both with each other and with the teacher. Also, the teacher should not talk too much as this hinders the student’s talk time and becomes more of a lecture. Instead, interactive discussions should be employed. Asking students questions that are not overly personal but allows them to tell the class a bit about themselves can also help for the overall vibe within the class. Above all, be authentically caring and respectful of your students and enjoy your class. I believe if these ideas are taken into the classroom teaching can be a wonderful experience for both the student and teacher, where learning is not stressful but fun and rewarding. This course has reinforced my ideas of how to interact with students and has proven so useful to refresh on ideas of how to build essential rapport with students.