Price Short TEFL

Establishing Rapport Each year, classrooms around the world are entering their first day of school. The teacher stands at the door greeting the new faces and the students file in, timid at first, and eager to see what this new teacher has in store for them. The first words out of the teacher?s mouth need to be encouraging yet authoritative in order to establish the correct and appropriate rapport in the classroom. This is why I chose this subject to research because it is so significant in the process of teaching and learning. Think of your first day of middle school-remember how you felt, the thoughts going through your mind, and what the other students seemed to be thinking. How did the teacher treat you on that first day? Was that teacher friendly or strict? Did they engage themselves in your conversations or remain an authority figure? This is such an important aspect of the education world to focus on because it sets the basis of how the classroom will function throughout the year. According to research, building rapport is considered a skill in the classroom. Many teachers crave the acceptance and the ability to connect with their students. They neglect to focus on the aspect of teaching and creating a balance in the classroom. Many times I have witnessed a classroom where the teacher was so caught up in becoming the student?s friend or creating a fun and laid back atmosphere. This is important to an extent but it is more important to teach the students that their opinion matters and that they can feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas. Rapport offers a sense of responsibility for the students as well as an ultimate understand for what can and will go on in the classroom. Most teachers have the challenge of understanding HOW to establish rapport in the classroom. After obtaining the authority figure in the classroom, the aspect of trust and openness is extremely noteworthy in a successful classroom. There are four key components to the idea of rapport in the classroom: Trust, Listening, Empathy, and Laughter. Allow your students to realize that this classroom is a place where they should feel comfortable expressing themselves. Teach them that this is place of honesty and openness on both ends of the spectrum. Obviously, there are restrictions when it comes to a teacher and student relationship but a teacher is still capable of finding that balance and keeping the rapport in the classroom. The teacher should also be able to provide a listening ear and some form of empathy toward the students. At the end of the day, laughter completes the theory and provides for an awesome experience for both the students and the teacher. I?m looking forward to learning this skill in my own classroom and seeing where the balance comes about. My students will be expecting a certain type of trust from me and vice versa. I will become the authority figure as well as allow for my students to experience rapport in my classroom.