How to Get NYC Public School Children to Like You

Who remembers the lack of motivation in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" or the shenanigans of "Saved by the Bell"? Both schools depicted academic life in the suburbs, so along with smaller class sizes and a higher school budget were students with Anglo-American looks and only minor altercations with other students. Looking at New York City public schools many parents are filled with trepidation and doubt, and new teachers opt to work in the suburbs where they expect an idyllic atmosphere of trust and discipline in their classrooms. New York City students are not the lions that many view them as but rather lambs.

1. Learn how to pronounce their names
In urban areas such as New York City, a lot of first and second generation immigrants choose to give their children ethnic names. Instead of the John's and Ashley's of the world, students have names like Kumar and The worst mistake a teacher or any adult supervising a child can make with regard to names is to ask if they have an Americanized name they'd like to be called. This is information the child may provide, such as their wish to be called a nickname, but never one that the adult initiates. My current professor said she heard of a teacher fired on his first day at a new school because upon looking at his class roster proclaimed in frustration "what kind of name is that!?" The child had enough resolve to report the teacher's attitude. Ask the child to correct you if you make a mistake pronouncing their name, and write down on index cards the spelling and how to say it. For example, one of the students in a sixth grade class I'm student teaching has the name Auhmma, but it's pronounced oh-may. By learning the correct, traditional way of saying their name, a child feels more comfortable in your presence.

2. Become acquainted with some of their interests
A child is also more comfortable, and more willing to learn, if they see that you're willing to learn something from them as well. Some teacher and authors of education books prefer having questionnaires handed out at the beginning of the new semester asking students to list their likes and dislikes, interests and passions, and what they would like to be when they grow up. Generally, a teacher should know a little something about each student beyond their academic achievements, such as how many students are fans of the local baseball team and who wants to pursue forensics in college. With this knowledge, a teacher can implement their classes' interests in their lessons, which in turn generates greater student interest and participation. If you've seen the movie "Freedom Writers" then you know what I'm talking about; Ms. Gravell slowly learns about her students and incorporates hip hop into one of her lessons. The students warm to her and the level of indifference and apprehension decreases while the level of motivation and respect increases.

3. Have conferences with students on a weekly basis
While studying for the ATS-W examination ( Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written) one of the New York State certification exams, I came across a question that addressed a teacher's reasoning for having conferences with her students on Mondays (q. 14). After choosing the correct answer, "she realizes that stress from home can affect a student's schoolwork" I went to the Answers Explained section, which read in short "Monday is the day after students have spent a weekend at home." A student can be positively, as well as negatively, effected by their home and social environments, and the last thing they need is to come to school and deal with an indifferent teacher. For example, if the child has extraordinary circumstances in his family, then certain classroom behaviors can be looked at with a new perspective as long as the teacher is aware of them. Conferences are also ways in which shy students can express their concerns to the teacher and make up for lack of class participation by talking about the material to an audience of one.