New Teacher Tips for Bringing the Personal Touch Back into the Classroom

Rush, rush, rush! Teaching is such a rush-rush profession, there never seems to be enough time in the day to make the personal connection with students. But in fact, this is often the BIG reason why so many teachers stress out with the thought of managing their classrooms and this creates even MORE stress when they actually find how difficult managing a classroom can be.

A classroom is one big mix of learning styles, personalities, attitudes, racial and ethnic backgrounds. To cater to these demands , teachers need to be centered in a particular moment emotionally, spiritually and mentally to not only embrace and teach these differences with respect but to also bring out the kind of energy that is needed to cater to this kind of teaching. In this short article, I'm not going to focus on how to cater to these differences but rather share with you a few tips on how you can find more peaceful ways to cater to student diversity.

When you find a home in the classroom, you not only feel comfortable with who you are as a teacher but you also grow to accept yourself as a person. Teachers are always finding new ways to cater to their students' learning styles so they can reach their potential and the same principle applies to finding your space and place in the classroom.

First Think Child, then Instruction

The benefits of thinking of "first child, then instruction" allows you to see the material, your learning objectives and your lessons from a child-centered point of view. Your thoughts, words and intentions become more centered on building a connection to the The first step is to start personalizing instruction in a way that feels right for you. Students need the personal touch but with the demands of teaching, not all teachers can find the balance. Here are some ideas to get you rolling:

Find a child that you haven't been able to successfully reach. Look at that child as an individual with feelings and ideas, not a student. Make time to speak

Think out of the Box

The secret to successful teaching is to teach what you love. This is also called "thinking out of the box" because you aren't teaching the book, you are working with authentic and meaningful ways to reach your students. By practicing what you love to do, you will also enjoy and appreciate what your students have to offer.

For example, when I taught students a certain text type on journal entries relating to the theme about natural disasters, they had no idea as to what I was talking about. But then I brought my journal into class and read it aloud to my students. One could have heard a pin drop in that classroom. It was an amazing yet "teachable" moment that created such powerful energy so much so that the students forgot they were learning. This is the ideal teaching scenario.

Teach Your Gifts

When you teach your gifts, you truly become connected to who you are as a person. This immediately gets translated to the students and "feeds" into positive energy. They will love you for it. Of course, you have to be able to find the right moment in which to do this but this is a wonderful way to find a "home" in the classroom without worrying just how you are teaching but rather to WHOM are you teaching.

To find out what your passions are, spend a little bit of time learning more about yourself.

What are your unique gifts and life experiences?
What are some of the qualities you value?
What are your personal and professional strengths?
What qualities do you value?
What are your unique experiences?
What are some life learnings that you can share?

With a bit of personal "homework," it is possible to build a meaningful and long-lasting connection that will go a long way not only when catering to student diversity but also for connecting with the child inside your own teacher and the children you teach.