Teachers: Should You Care If Students Like YOU?

I understand the different responses we can get out this question. That's how education has been always. Of course, the answers are expected from teachers only, not because the other people can have a say but this is a way to comprehend better how we as teachers, interact with our students in school and more precisely in the classroom.

Photo by Flickr user: ttarasiuk

I have to agree with Michael Kaechele. I also think teachers should care about relationships with students. Let me tell you a story: My son is attending a Blue Ribbon School but he complains his History teacher 'can't teach'. Does the teacher knows? No. Do the principal know? I don't know. On the other hand, how can a young 14 years student can criticize a renamed and experienced teacher? My son has had other education professionals as his teachers (me being his first and foremost teacher), and he can distinguish easily from being instructed or not. Because his bad impression on this teacher, he is not paying attention to what his has to say during class period, arguing he only make them read and summarize. Enough said.

So, I think teacher SHOULD build long-lasting relationships with their students. Earn respect for what they are and then for what they teach. Show them compassion, love and how to get confident into their own lives. Here is what Concrete Classroom, explains:

Our first job as educators is to build relationships with students. How can students learn from or with us if they do not like us? Think back to your teachers (maybe way back for some of us). What do you remember? All of the content they taught you or how they made you feel? So I am concerned about teachers whose attitude is that is does not matter how students feel about them. This does not require us to be "best friends" or necessarily hang out socially with our students. But I do believe that teachers should get to know students personally. Students who enjoy you as a person are also more likely to enjoy your class.

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Milton Ramirez