10 Years ago Rita Pierson gave a talk at a TED conference which is still very relevant today. She talks about how every kid needs a champion teacher.
Rita was a teacher for over 40 years she saw policies change many times. The thing that didn’t change was the way she taught. She talks about connection and making a difference in students lives.
It's much easier to make a connection with students if you see them regularly. As a CRT you rarely get this opportunity. CRTs are the most important teachers in the school. You are there when the regular teacher is absent. You are there so students can continue learning. Without a CRT in front of the class schools can't function and learning stops. Making a connection doesn’t take all year or all of the first term.
You can make a connection with a student in the first 5 minutes of the lesson. Maybe not all of them but you can make a difference to one student or a small group of students each lesson. If you end up at the same school regularly you will start to see the same students again and you will become someone they know.
So how do I make a connection as a CRT?
It can be tough as a CRT, we can't connect with every student. Here are 5 steps that will help you connect with some of your students and become a champion teacher.
Give clear instruction
Let students know your expectations as soon as they walk in the door, or even before they walk in. Mark the roll then introduce the activity/topic for the lesson. This also needs to be clear, write it on the whiteboard. Settle them and get them to start the lesson. This may take some time, don’t rush it.
Have a conversation
Talk to the students, make them feel like you are interested in them or what they are working on. Ask them open ended questions to get them to talk. Throw questions to the class if this isn’t working. Get them to tell you what they are working on, how they are going, ask if they have any questions or if you can help them with anything. You may not get a response the first time so keep trying.
Get to know them
You can make a real difference if you know their names during the lesson and refer to them by name during the lesson. This is only a small gesture but a powerful one. It makes a person feel noticed when you remember their name.
Adapt to their needs
Get a feeling for what the students need or how they work as a class. Some classes will be all over you, especially in primary schools. Other classes will be studying or focused on what they are doing and won’t need as much help. Get a feeling for what the students are up to and adapt to what their needs are. If you can, have a conversation with the students. Don’t just tell them what to do all lesson.
Stay Positive
During the lesson make sure you are upbeat and positive and end the lesson with a positive comment. 'You all worked well today it was a very enjoyable lesson', or 'thanks for a great lesson, keep up the good work'. If you do see those students again ask them about the previous lesson you had them.
Summary
These 5 tips are only a start. Every kid needs a champion teacher and each teacher has their own teaching style and methods to get to know a class or group of students.
There will also be times when you will have a class that is disruptive and the plan will be thrown out the window. We have another blog that can help with student management. Click the link to view - How to Mange a Hard Class.
