When teaching your students it is important to remember what stage of life they are in. During your time with them, they are going through some of the most significant changes. Most often students are beginning to become adults or are about to become an adult. Understanding that your students are going through their own struggles and figuring out who they are is incredibly important. It is important throughout this time that you are an asset to your students rather than an obstacle. It is important that you can not only be their teacher but be a person that is there for them and is willing to listen to their problems. It is also important to want to get them involved whether that be in the classroom or in clubs and after-school activities. It is also important to recognize differences among students. With that, it is important to make plans that will best benefit the student rather than the instructor. For example, for gifted and talented students it is important to present more problem solution-based learning. However, for at-risk students, it is better to positively reinforce them, provide them with more attention, and consistently check up on them. Overall, it is important to get to know each and every student. This way you can find ways to best help every student and help them succeed. It is important for students to feel included and valued. This may mean you need to change things you have planned to better fit the students you have. However, it is just important that you think about all students when making plans and decisions so you can best fit everyones needs.
You made some excellent points! I think this is where differentiation in learning comes into play. Considering our students’ backgrounds will help us create a curriculum relative to them, encouraging more participation and creativity. It is also important that what we do for one student, we do for all to avoid singling out students. For example, if you have several students interested in art, create an activity where they can make a poster or drawing. Even better, allow students to choose an activity relevant to the lesson objectives, an art project, creating a playlist or video, or even writing a short paper.
Understanding that students have a life outside of the classroom is something that is paramount to controlling classroom behavior. I’ve always heard the advice that if you focus on building relationships with students, you won’t need to focus as much on classroom management. I really liked the point that you brought up about making plans that will best benefit the student rather than the instructor. Making adjustments into lesson plans for students who might be gifted, or students who might be a grade level or two behind on reading, is a lot of headache for teachers, but to the student who may not have ever been given a diverse learning plan, it could mean the difference between dropping out or receiving a diploma. Students definitely also need to feel valued in the classroom, and changing your classroom to fit their needs rather than what makes your job easiest could potentially change a student’s academic career.