TEFL St. Marys Point Minnesota

As a young girl, I was very shy and it took a while for me to become friends with people or even to make friends. I realized that my shyness was preventing me from having amazing experiences and meeting interesting people, and so began my reinvention as an extroverted person. And the results were miraculous as I realized that things happened a lot faster, and I got to experience many wonderful things in my life from the moment I decided to slightly alter my personality. As a result of this change I believe it has truly aided me in my numerous professions as a store clerk, gallery guide, host, bartender, and now finally as an english teacher. This process was very organic, and I was shocked to discover the former shy child had a natural outgoing nature. Establishing rapport is a very difficult thing to create; it has to come from a place of truth and interest. Establishing rapport with my students is essential for me when I teach. People can tell if you are faking it, if not outright then an instinctual sense, and if they sense you are lying to them, then you lose those first moments of trust they have in you as their teacher. According to Buskist and Saville, “rapport has been avoided in favor of other variables, such as methods of teaching, modes of testing, and techniques of assessing teaching effectiveness, which can be more readily conceptualized and manipulated. Nonetheless, it is worth considering the role of rapport if for no other reason than its contributions to effective teaching”(Buskist & Saville, 2001). I also concur with their findings and think if one disregards rapport, then they do so at their peril. This could be potentially detrimental to your teaching reputation, they will doubt you and wonder if you really care to be here or just passing time collecting a paycheck and doubt your abilities. I've witnessed several former co-teachers who did not care to make that rapport and they lost their credibility. This heavily affected the students as they did not respect him, had no motivation to learn from him, and were essentially wasting their time and money. In their article, Buskist and Saville present tips for rapport building which range from keeping office hours, staying late and chatting with students, and creating relevant class examples, to simple tips like being respectful, smiling, and telling jokes. I am a big proponent of smiling and joking with my students. I also make sure the very first class I go and have lunch with my students. As this is voluntary and not mandatory, I feel it is important for establishing that rapport I want to create between my students and myself. I also want that bond to develop between my students as I feel we are a team and if one falls we all do. As I work in korea, a big bonding time for their culture is to go out and drink. As I don't drink, I still go out with my students at the end of the first week of class and have dinner and go to a bar to become familiar with my students and to also discover their culture. If I express interest in their home, then they will feel my genuine appreciation for them and will want to accept me more as a teacher. That first week is critical to seal the bond and create an authentic rapport the night we have dinner and hang out after the class. Furthermore Buskist and Saville notes that, “rapport seems to facilitate both student motivation for learning and their enjoyment of the course, and enhances student receptivity to what is being taught” (Buskist & Saville, 2001). I wholeheartedly believe this to be true, and have enjoyed many years as an english teacher with students who have taken my class over and over again, and not only for the lessons but for the fact that they feel that I am on their side and want success for them. Reference: Buskist, W. and Saville, B. K. (2001). Creating Positive Emotional Contexts for Enhancing Teaching and Learning. APS Observer. Retrieved from http://www.socialpsychology.org/rapport.htm I included the full list for the tips by Buskist and Saville. Tips for Rapport-Building How might we build rapport with our students? Try any or all of the following suggestions for developing rapport with your students: • Learn to call your students by name. • Learn something about your students' interests, hobbies, and aspirations. • Create and use personally relevant class examples. • Arrive to class early and stay late -- and chat with your students. • Explain your course policies-and why they are what they are. • Post and keep office hours. • Get on line-use e-mail to increase accessibility to your students. • Interact more, lecture less -- emphasize active learning. • Reward student comments and questions with verbal praise; • Be enthusiastic about teaching and passionate about your subject matter. • Lighten up -- crack a joke now and then. • Be humble and, when appropriate, self-deprecating. • Make eye contact with each student-without staring, glaring, or flaring. • Be respectful. • Don't forget to smile!