This is a question we get often. At first, it may seem like an easy answer: “Just be yourself and students will automatically feel more comfortable with you.” Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. There has to be something deeper than just being nice and friendly for teachers to build trust; they need to know how their actions affect students’ perceptions of them.
The most important thing teachers can do is establish boundaries with their students. It means setting limits on what behavior is allowed and showing when they are enforced without hesitation or apology for doing so. These limits should apply both in and outside of class time but there needs to be a balance between the two because consistency builds trust. Read further for useful tips to help you build trust with your students.
What is Trust in the classroom?
The teacher-student relationship is based on trust. The more that a student trusts their teacher, the more likely they are to put in their best in class. Also, if the student sees that their teachers respect them and care about their well-being, then they will respect him or her back. A student won’t respect someone who isn’t trustworthy, and so they won’t give it their all in the classroom.
The components of trust in a teaching-student relationship are:
1. Reliability: “I can count on them to do what they say they will do”
2. Caring: “They care about me and show that they care”
3. Respect: “They respect me and show that they care about what I think”
4. Responsibility: “I can count on them to do their part”
5. Openness: “They share information with me, including what they expect of me.”
6. Consistency: The same rules apply to everyone.
A student won’t trust their teacher if there are any of these components missing, or if they see that the teacher doesn’t follow through with what he or she promises. These components are essential for a good relationship between students and teachers to form.
The Power of Trust in Teacher-Student Relationship
It’s been widely observed that a strong and cordial relationship between teachers and their students is one of the major ingredients for a promising education environment. In other words, if there is no trust between a teacher and his or her students, it’s going to be difficult for them to foster great educational results. Here are some roles played by trust in enhancing and promoting a great connection between a teacher and his or her students:
1. Trust encourages student-teacher communication.
If for one reason or another, a teacher doesn’t trust a particular student, chances are that the student is going to be hesitant in sharing personal information with him or her. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they feel more comfortable communicating with each other.
2. Trust encourages mutual respect among teachers and their students.
A lack of trust often leads to unhealthy competition among teachers and their students. Instead of respecting each other, both teachers and students tend to disrespect one another. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, mutual respect automatically comes in.
3. Trust creates a positive learning environment.
A lack of trust often leads to tension in the classroom. Instead of focusing on important concepts and strategies, both teachers and students tend to focus on negative comments and behaviors. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they create a positive learning environment where every student feels like he or she belongs.
4. Trust enhances consistency among teachers and their students.
A lack of trust often leads to inconsistency among teachers and their students. Instead of following consistent behavior towards each other, both teachers and students may follow their own paths. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they create consistency in the classroom where everyone feels like he or she belongs.
5. Trust contributes to a healthier class atmosphere.
Lack of trust often leads to cliques and other unhealthy groups among teachers and their students. Instead of encouraging teamwork, both teachers and students tend to create negative atmospheres that only foster individualistic thinking. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they foster a healthier class atmosphere where everyone feels like he or she belongs.
6. Trust creates a better rapport among teachers and their students.
A lack of trust often leads to strained relations among teachers and their students. When there is no trust between a teacher and his or her students, both tend to hold back their opinions and ideas. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they create a better rapport where everyone feels comfortable to share their thoughts and ideas.
7. Trust encourages setting common goals among teachers and their students.
A lack of trust often leads to unclear objectives among teachers and their students. Instead of sharing common goals, both teachers and students may choose to create their own objectives. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they encourage setting common goals where everyone feels like he or she belongs.
8. Trust enhances student motivation among teachers and their students.
A lack of trust often leads to low motivation among teachers and their students. When there is no trust between a teacher and his or her students, both tend to lack the commitment to achieving common goals. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they help create high levels of motivation where everyone feels like he or she belongs.
9. Trust promotes greater flexibility among teachers and their students.
A lack of trust often leads to rigidity among teachers and their students. Instead of encouraging openness, both tend to encourage stubbornness. On the contrary, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they promote greater flexibility where everyone feels like he or she belongs.
10. Trust encourages shared ownership among teachers and their students.
An absence of trust often results in a sense of entitlement among teachers and their students. When there is no trust between a teacher and his or her students, both may. think that they own certain aspects in the classroom. However, when there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, they encourage shared ownership where everyone feels like he or she belongs.
When there is trust between a teacher and his or her students, it can help create a positive learning environment where every student feels as though he or she belongs, as well as several other things that teachers should know about this topic.
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How To Build Trust Between Teachers and Students?
Building trust between teachers and students is vital to creating a good learning environment. The relationship that exists between the two parties will determine how successful your teaching career is – both inside and outside of the classroom. Good relationships mean better grades, fewer disciplinary issues, and overall happier students. If you want to make sure that your teaching methods are effective, then you need to first make sure that the trust between a teacher and student is in place. This post will give you 20 ways in which teachers can build trust in their classrooms.
1. Set Clear Expectations
A lack of understanding between what has been agreed upon by both parties can cause conflict or lower motivation levels in your students, so make sure that you set your clear expectations upfront.
2. Be Consistent
Everything that you do should be consistent for every student in the classroom, or even if the students are in different grades or classes. If you fail in this regard, your students lose respect for you and that diminishes the trust they have in you.
3. Communicate Frequently
It is important that you communicate effectively with your classes. This may mean sending home newsletters, talking to them after class, or using communication platforms.
4. Be Approachable
Your students should never feel afraid to approach you when they have a problem. Spend time at the beginning of each year to let them know that you are always there in case they need help.
5. Don’t Micromanage
Don’t try to control every aspect of your student’s learning, but instead ensure that you provide them with the structure and support that they need to learn independently. You can use IT tools like Google Classroom and others, as a way to let students know if they’re on the right track, but never hold back their creativity.
6. Praise Their Success
If your students are doing well then don’t be afraid to praise them for their hard work and effort. This will help boost their confidence levels and may even encourage other students to work harder too.
7. Know Their Strengths and Weaknesses
You can gain a better understanding of your students by learning about their strengths and weaknesses. This will help you to work on their weaker areas, while also ensuring that they remain confident in whatever they are good at.
8. Listen Carefully to Your Students
Don’t be quick to make judgments – make sure that you take the time to hear what your students are saying. This may mean pausing for longer in between questions or encouraging them to ask more questions.
9. Be Prompt
It is important that you are always prompt. If you are ever running late then inform your students of this as soon as possible, so they don’t feel worried or anxious.
10. Be Respectful
You should never use disrespectful terms like “stupid” or “dumb” when talking to your students, as this will make them lose respect for you and could cause them to act out. Rather than saying these types of things, try using words like “unlucky.”
11. Don’t Give Up on Them
Never give up on your students, even if they are struggling at first. Continue to show patience with them and persevere until you see results.
12. Show Them How to Deal with Problems and Failures
Your students may face problems or failure in their learning so you must explain how they should deal with these issues. You may need to look for extra resources online or work on some special projects to help your students overcome their problems.
13. Give Them Opportunities to Face Challenges
It is important that you create opportunities where your students can develop and grow outside of the classroom, such as having them work on special projects, attend extracurricular activities, or complete competitions.
14. Give Them Feedback on Their Work
Your students are learning so they must have access to some form of feedback to develop and grow in their skills. If you’ve been working with your students on a particular skill, then let them know how well they are progressing. This will help them to stay motivated.
15. Don’t Talk down To Them
Don’t talk down to your students or embarrass them in front of other classmates, even if they did something wrong. Instead treat them with respect and dignity at all times, no matter what the circumstances are.
16. Make Time to Care
You need to show your students that you’re not just their teacher but also someone they can come to for help and advice, which is why it’s important to make time in your schedule to care for them outside of the classroom. You can do this by setting up learning sessions or having regular meetings with them after school.
17. Show That You Care About Their Learning
Your students will know that you care about their learning if you take steps to ensure they’re always learning and growing. For example, you mustn’t let them get stuck on a particular topic for too long but encourage them to move on from it so they can develop further.
18. Treat All of Them with Respect
You shouldn’t just treat your high achieving students with respect but also your struggling or low-achieving students too. Everyone deserves to be shown the same amount of dignity and decency, regardless of what level they’re working at.
19. Explain the Value of Education
Your students will view school in a much better light if you take the time to show them its value. You may need to look for extra resources online so you can explain the importance of having an education, as well as how it will benefit them later in life.
20. Give Your Students Responsibility
You must give your students some responsibility, which could be something like taking on extra tasks or looking after younger students. This way they will appreciate the responsibilities they have in your classroom and work harder as a result.
There are several strategies that teachers can use to build trust with their students. An important strategy is to lead by example. Teachers need to be respectful of both themselves and their students, exemplify good character traits, and never give up on their students. This will help to build trust.
What Are Some Activities That Can Help Teachers Build Trust with Students?
Well, there are many ways teachers can build trust with students. Here are 10 specific activities that you might want to try:
1) Have students complete a learning contract that outlines their goals for the course and how they will know when they have reached those goals.
2) Make sure students are engaged in class by having them do exercises and projects that they enjoy, and which reflect their own personalities and interests.
3) Give students real-world examples of things you are talking about in class so they can see how the information will be useful to them outside of school.
4) Ask students what ways you can improve as a teacher, or what topics they would like to learn more about.
5) Hold class meetings and keep students updated on your teaching methods and classroom policies. You can even ask for their ideas on what you should do in the classroom.
6) Use activities that will get students to open up and share personal information, such as sharing favorite movies or how they like to spend free time.
7) Have students develop a list of questions they want to ask you and encourage them to come in for conferences to discuss what they’ve learned.
8) Encourage students to ask questions and provide opportunities in class for them to do so.
9) Be open about your life outside of school; tell personal stories when appropriate, talk about activities you enjoy, and so on.
10) Attend school functions to get to know students better outside of the classroom.
You can see that there are many things teachers can do to build trust with students. Just a few activities every day will begin the process, and soon your students will be much more open with you about their thoughts and feelings.
Final Thoughts
If you want to build trust with your students, the first step is for teachers to lead by example. You should be respectful of your students and yourself, exemplify good character traits, and never give up on them. In addition to building a relationship based on mutual respect, there are other activities that can help increase their level of comfort in class too as mentioned in the final section of this post.
