I think all teachers and future teachers can relate to, when we get asked why we wanted to become teachers. For some of us it’s a teacher who’s impacted our lives in some way. For others it may be because they want to make a real difference in childrens’ lives. The list can go and on but for me, one person comes to mind when I’m asked this question. It’s my ELL teacher from Kindergarten, Mrs. Awkward. I truly believe, she’s the one who inspired and motivated me to try and become a teacher because one day I would be honored to come as close as amazing as she is.
It was my first day at Kindergarten and I had tears streaming down my face as my dad dropped me off. I was left in a room surrounded with kids who all spoke English and I was terrified. I couldn’t understand what was going on but I was lucky enough that I had a Spanish speaking teacher, who was able to communicate with me. It was not easy making friends as I had a language barrier but that quickly changed when I was put in an ELL class. Mrs. Awkward sat me down at a table with children who only spoke Spanish. We all were able to introduce ourselves and I felt comfortable enough sharing with everyone. My memory is a little fuzzy since it’s been a while since I was five but I will never forget all the activities she made us do. By the end of the year, I was quite fluent in English and she was so shocked of how quickly I was able to retain the new language, as it was exposed to me that very year for the first time. I don’t think she knew how much of an impact she did for me that year, I had no idea until years later. Mrs. Awkward made me feel comfortable and safe enough, that I was not afraid of making mistakes in her class. Compared to when I would go back to my classroom I was afraid to read in front of the class or answer a question for the teacher. I will always remember everything she did for me that year and the following years after that.
I was a Freshman in a technical high school and I was placed in a Kindergarten classroom at my old elementary school for a field placement. I will not forget the excitement I felt when I saw Mrs. Awkward walking down the hallway as I was getting ready to leave the building. She stopped dead on her tracks and called my name out, I was amazed that she remembered my name as it has been years since the last time I saw her. We had a short conversation and I wish it lasted longer but before I left she told me how proud she was of me and she knew I would one day become a teacher. Those words will always mean the world to me as she really changed my life for the better. It could have taken me a long time to learn English and without her encouragement and patience I wouldn’t have gotten as far.
Someone that reminds me of Mrs. Awkward is Rita Pierson, their character and what they stand by are very similar to each other. Rita Pierson believes building relationships is essential of becoming a great teacher. I think having strong relationships between your students, builds trust and that is so important to have. From experiences with working with children, they will not listen or learn from you, if they don’t have that trust. Ways I will make sure I will have strong relationships with my students would be
- Appealing to their interest by personalizing an item they commonly use in class such as, a notebook, pencil box, clipboard, folder and etc.
- Greeting them every morning they come in and asking which way they would like for me to say hello to them. Some examples of this are high fives, hugs, fist bumps, and creative handshakes.
- Communicating with their parents. By having a strong relationship with the student’s families can be easier for teachers to build trust with their students.
- Lastly, trusting them that they can and will do their best in your classroom.
Rita Pierson is my educational guru, I’ve watched her video multiple times and I never get tired of it. I think everything she has to say in that video is very important for all teachers and all teachers are able to learn from this video. Therefore, I’ve added it to the bottom of this post, if you have yet not been able to watch the whole video. I recommend it, if you want to know why it’s essential to have strong relationships with your students this video can give you some reasons why.
“Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” – Rita Pierson
Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED
Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, “They don’t pay me to like the kids.” Her response: “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.'” A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.