Teachers as People
Paul Bress, Whitstable, UK
Introduction
Me: How did you get on with the doctor?
My mum: Oh, he's a really nice man.
Me: So did the plumber get everything sorted out?
My mum: Yes, but he's a bit of an odd character.
Me: I like your new hair do.
My mum: Yes, she's a very nice woman that does my hair.
My mum seems far more interested in people's personal qualities than she is in their professional expertise. And I wouldn't be surprised if she was typical of the majority of us. It's generally important for us to like others. And, particularly when we're being helped by people in the caring professions, the need for liking others is paramount.
The corollary of what I'm saying here is that it's possible to be a very technically skilled teacher but not to be a popular one. Perhaps students will not take to the skilled-but-distant teacher. Perhaps we can also deduce that students are looking for more than just the skilful facilitator of learning; they are interested in what their teacher is like as a human being.
Showing Your Humanity
Here are six ways of revealing the person in you. Next to each one I have explained the reason why it's important and I've also suggested some possible verbal and non-verbal language that illustrates each particular 'way'. The verbal communication has speech marks; the non-verbal communication doesn't.
1. Try to get to know about your students as individual people
In order to show your humanity, you have to be receptive towards the humanity of other people. Only in this way will you be able to develop a special relationship together.
Possible language:
- "What do you think of…?"
- "What are you feeling?" (or: "What did you feel when…?")
- "What do you mean exactly?"
2. Let your students know something about your life
This doesn't mean making your lessons very 'teacher-centred', but if you do reveal some things about yourself (e.g. your thoughts, feelings, and intentions) at key moments, you'll find that your students listen more attentively to these revelations than to anything else in the lessons.
Possible language:
- "I felt…when you aid/did that"
- "What I'm trying to say is…"
3. Listen carefully to what your students say to you
There's a difference between paying lip-service to listening carefully to your students and a full-blown "I'm all ears" attentiveness. Students will always be aware of whether a teacher is just going through the motions or is genuinely interested in what they're saying.
Possible language:
- A still body
- Open body stance (i.e. don't fold your arms)
- A relaxed gaze towards the student in question
4. Be aware of how much they're enjoying their lessons - or not!
If you are genuinely empathising with your students, this will happen automatically. But if you aren't, it won't. You'll be talking in a vacuum - giving instructions, correcting, praising, doing everything like an automaton. Students will feel as if they hardly exist.
Possible language:
- Observation of class as a whole - to detect the general mood
- "Do you like doing this (sort of thing)?"
5. Speak in a polite way
Even now some teachers revel in the little bit of power they have when they are in front of class. They enjoy bossing others around, and they are oblivious of the fact that other people are spending their precious time in their care.
Possible language:
- Smiling (but not in a sarcastic or ironic way)
- "Would you mind working together, please? Is that OK with you?"
6. Come across as enthusiastic
This is one of the age-old axioms of successful teaching. A bored teacher can be deeply offensive for some students; an enthusiastic teacher brings energy, joy, and life into the classroom.
Possible language:
- Varied, playful sentence stress and intonation patterns
- "Well done! I was really impressed by that (piece of work)"
Conclusion
If it's true that most students (like my mum) place great emphasis on the likeability of others, then it seems clear to me that this should be a major concern of every teacher. I'm not saying that teachers should strive to be liked (this might well have the opposite effect!). What I'm saying is that teachers should try to bridge the gap between their life experience and that of each student. That's what being human is really all about.
Paul Bress can be contacted at paulbress@tiscali.co.uk
His website is at www.bemycoach.co.uk
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