Building Positive Relationships with Students

Building positive relationships with children is, I believe, my greatest strength and quality as an educator. Being a sensitive and empathetic person by nature can be challenging at times, but ultimately it makes for excellent relationships and communication skills. I have the ability to pick up on things others may miss, and I can relate to people from all walks of life. I have learnt with maturity and experience how to reign in my sensitivity/ empathy to allow me to fulfil my role professionally and not affect my own personal life. This is a battle for all teachers I know- if a student or family is having a rough time- you are naturally worried and concerned as a teacher/ educator. I have the ability and personal skills to feel and relate, but maintain composure and professionalism at the same time. I am proud of this as I know for a fact that not all people are able to relate to others to the degree that I can, and build such solid and meaningful relationships. If it weren't for those particular abilities of mine, I'm not sure I would be in education. OFCOURSE, my TEACHING, PEDAGOGY, MANAGEMENT and STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT are all HIGHLY IMPORTANT, but, I would argue that all of those things come second to relationships. What good is it having all the appropriate pedagogical knowledge, or knowing the curriculum inside out, if you cannot build positive relationships??? The wellbeing and happiness of students must be first and foremost (in my opinion), because success in learning is really not possible without it.
SO, what are my top tips for building positive relationships?

-CARE- really, truly care. If your heart is not in it- teaching is not for you.
-CONNECT- find out about your children- go beyond what they are like in the classroom setting- what makes them tick? What do they do outside of school? What is their home situation like? Show your students you have a genuine interest in their lives- because, if you don't, once again this is not the career for you.
-COMMUNICATE- this may sound obvious- but do you really talk to your students? Do you talk beyond Saturday's rugby game or their latest piece of writing? It's the personal conversations that really build deep connections.
-CONCERN- do your students know how much you care for them? Do they know their well being is your top priority? You need to show this through your words and actions. I tell my students what they mean to me. I also show them by watching their games, their shows, competitions, spending time with them if they are in a crisis. Actions speak louder than words and relationships go beyond classroom walls.

"Miss Huls is always asking us how things outside of school are going. She speaks like she cares. She speaks to us respectfully." Year 6 student- male.

"She always makes sure that everyone is OK and on track with our work. She is a very nice person. She is very welcoming and loves animals and bringing them into the classroom. She always asks me if I'm OK and says nice things about me, I know that she cares about me." Year 6 student- female.

"She is positive and puts in a lot of effort to do nice things for us." Year 6 student- male.