Teacher Student Relationships: How they Differ Based on Student Age

The relationship between teacher and student has different properties, according to the age of the student. While there are some similarities, there are many differences when teaching a child and teaching an adult. This article will explore both.

In both situations, a teacher's job is to impart some new knowledge to the student. In some cases the student wants to absorb that knowledge and in others, they have been mandated by the state and society to do so. This will determine whether the student is hostile toward the one who is imparting that knowledge. If so, then, the relationship is tenuous. The teacher must impart the knowledge, as well as convince the student that this knowledge is useful. This works best when a teacher does not feel that his/her position in the relationship is superior to that of his/her student.

Within this relationship, there must be reciprocal respect. When one is teaching children, there is a maternal or paternal quality to the relationship. There is some care to be taken because teachers know that students can be highly influenced. Teachers know that they must also set a good example for the children in and out of class. When the students are teens, they walk that fine line between being open enough to get and keep the children's attention and losing their respect as an adult. I must admit that I have seen many teachers at both extremes of this situation. Some teachers are "out of touch," with their students. They don't seem to care about the student and since they are so myopic in their focus, the children will not listen and do not respond to the knowledge that he/she is trying to impart. I have also seen teachers who try to be the students' friend. While this type of teacher might be successful in the short term, teens interact with him/her as they would a friend. Thus, the authority that a teacher must have to structure his knowledge and test the students on how much they know has been lost.

More adults are entering the classroom to learn a new skill or obtain another degree. Some adults did not go to college after High School and decide to get their degree later in life. In this situation, the teacher is like a Boss. The salary is the grade. The teacher, however, is on more equal footing with the adults. In this situation, I am not speaking of teens that enter the college Scene. I am speaking of adults who are in the same age bracket as their teachers. These adults don't feel as if they "have" to attend class. Usually these adults are in the classroom by their own choice. In this way, it does make the relationship a bit less challenging. The adult student already (in most cases) values the knowledge that you will impart. The power structure is different because adults can not be treated like children. You can not, for example, attempt to teach an adult responsibility or any other character attributes. The children are slates that a teacher can write their knowledge upon. These adults, however, have already had experiences that have formed their character and habits. Thus, the knowledge is restricted to the subject at hand. If a teacher has a problem with his/her adult student, he/she must address the issue with the student. The teacher can not call a parent for a third party intervention.

The adult student is also a bit more critical when evaluating the teacher. The adult student uses his/her experiences to evaluate the knowledge that he/she has received and evaluates the teacher on his/her presentation and methods.

The adult student is also more likely to teach the teacher valuable lessons, as well. It is quite possible that the adult student has formed a unique prospective on a subject and after sharing it, enhances the teacher's prospective. Adult students use their experiences to understand and enhance their learning. In this way, it is a good idea to find common adult experiences to illustrate the points of a lecture.

Teacher/student relationships differ depending on the age and experience of the student. While the teachers' goal is to impart new skills or knowledge, the methods and expectations of this process change with the type of students that a teacher has.