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Connecting with Kids in the Classroom
Science has shown a connection with students creates great teachers
You may think of certain personality types when you think of good teachers. Bubbly extroverts that are well organized and always optimistic?
Or stern teachers who believe in students, and therefore push them to learn more than the child ever thought they could?
Be yourself
It doesn’t matter what personality you, as the teacher, bring to the table. What matters is that you learn how to connect with your students. Of course, if you are a jerk, it is hard for you to connect with anyone (and didn’t we all have that teacher at some point?) and you will not find it easy to connect with kids until you transform yourself into a nice person.
But by nice I don’t mean you have to smile and be bubbly all the time.
You need to be enthusiastic and curious because those things are catching and will spread to your students. But you can express enthusiasm in your own way.
Being authentic will help you connect quickly with the kids in your classroom. Kids can smell a phony a mile away and will not be impressed at faked enthusiasm. Be genuine.
