Sharing Good Practice
5 IMPORTANT LESSONS MY
STUDENTS TAUGHT ME
By Betina Fuentes
O
ne of the greatest things
about choosing teaching as a
profession is the opportunity for
lifelong, everyday learning. In
my years in the classroom, I’ve learned
everything from the latest dance crazes
to which boy bands were in (and out).
Consistently, each year, I learn and
relearn how to be a better teacher
from the very students I’m teaching.
Below are five of the most important
lessons that I have taken away from
the classroom.
Teach the Whole Child
The student in your classroom is
not just an English student, a maths
student, or a science student. He
is an athlete, a dancer, a gamer or
a musician. Find what makes each
student shine and incorporate it into
the classroom. Assign projects where
the outcome is open to interpretation,
as long as the objective is met. As a
teacher, bring your own interests into
the classroom as well. Seeing each
other as people, not just teachers and
students, helps to establish community
and rapport in the classroom.
Trust Until Given a Reason Not To
Most of our students want to help us,
do well, and take responsibility. When
we show respect and trust to our
students, they will return the sentiment.
Give students jobs in the classroom,
trust them to make good choices, and
guide them when they stumble. One
of the most rewarding experiences I
had in the classroom was when I gave
a Grade 8 student the responsibility of
doing the lunch count each morning.
He was so excited to do his job each
day. He relished the praise from the
lunch lady and me. When his mother
came in, she raved about how his
behaviour had improved from the year
before. He actually wanted to come to
school – because of a simple thing like
a classroom job. Sharing responsibility
with students can also make classroom
duties more efficient.
Leave Your Troubles At the Door
Make your classroom a haven for your
students. If you had a bad morning,
try your best to leave it outside. Take
some deep breaths, have a cup of
coffee or tea, enjoy an uplifting article
or website before the school day
begins. When students come in, they
deserve a smiling face and a positive
attitude. Happiness is contagious; so
spread it around. When you encourage
positivity, students will bring it to class.
Teach Empathy By Example
So many of us have experienced
teachers who taught by fear, sarcasm
and bullying. Students respond to
these methods by shutting down,
talking back and bullying others to
increase their own self-esteem. One
of the most important lessons I have
learned is to truly listen and empathize
with students in order to help them
have the best experience they can.
When students see me taking time to
care about another student, it gives
them a good example of how to act.
Laugh Every Day
We are lucky enough to have jobs where
we get to experience many different
personalities. Embrace the silly times,
the passing period conversations, and
the flat-out funny things that happen in
school each day. Keep a journal or silly
wall in the classroom where you can
record funny sayings, jokes, or even
pictures of activities that entertained
the class. When you laugh every day,
everything else will fall into place.
Use these lessons from students to
assist in being an effective, empathetic
and efficient educator.
Have a
wonderful year and keep learning!
Class Time
Nov - Dec 2014
9