The Methods, Ideas and Skills Public School Educators Use to Connect with Their Students
Teachers and professors on the everyday methods that make students feel seen, starting with learning their names.
Written by Gregory Ferraro for GF Creative House Blog
Teaching is widely accepted as one of the most important and crucial jobs in our society. Teachers not only influence and have a major hand in raising our youth, but they also provide qualifications and degrees to adults that they will use to pursue their careers. This transition to adulthood can often isolate and seclude students which puts more pressure on their teachers and professors to connect and communicate their material clearly. In 2022, a study at the University of Missouri found that students who feel their teacher cares about them are more likely to receive high-quality teaching. Because of this, many teachers have created their own unique methods, ideals, and skills to connect with their students.
With low-income public-school systems in the United States of America being the most widely accessed, the perspectives of those teachers are some of the most important. Lynette Greenway is a Special Education teacher at a low-income junior high school in The Los Angeles Unified School District. She faces many daily struggles as a teacher including receiving no funding for class supplies and little to no support from administration. She mentions that as a teacher, “I have to be willing to pay for crayons, markers, and glue sticks for my students because if I don’t, then no one will.” She often will pay for hundreds of dollars of supplies out of her own pocket for her students to be able enjoy their class time. Mrs. Greenway prioritizes the happiness and joy of her students while they are in the classroom because some of them do not have the resources at home to have the same fun. She mentions,
“I want my students to come to class and have so much fun that they forget they are learning.”
Like Mrs. Greenway many other educators have created unique methods to teach their students.
A professor at California State University of Fullerton, Dr. Jasmine Phillips reflected on her time teaching and how important her students truly are. For Dr. Phillips, her students’ names are the first thing she focuses on. Creating that meaningful connection and putting that personability at the forefront of her priorities. She also highlights on the importance of class participation and discussion and says, “I make sure that students are communicating at least 50% of the time.” She explains that allowing student to talk and brainstorm ideas creates a comfortable and safe space so that students can enter and focus on learning. When asked about her expectation for teaching Dr. Phillips responded that she initially was made to believe that students were going to often be unprepared, but she is surprised everyday with how much effort students actually do put in.
It is clear that educators have a very difficult job. Constantly adapting their teaching styles and creating new methods to teach students is not an easy task and should receive more recognition. If more teachers were willing to share and discuss their methods and struggles the conversation could spark an immense amount of change. Improving these teachers ability to connect with their students will foster a better learning environment for all and improve the future of education.