student and teacher essay

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Teacher And Student Relationship (Essay Sample)

Teacher and student relationship.

Teachers hold the highest regard for students; ideally, students are encouraged to respect their teachers and emulate them. Teachers play important roles in molding student’s personality and the type of relationship teacher develop with students will determine the student’s academic and personal growth in the future. Developing a positive teacher-student relationship means creating an encouraging learning environment where students are free to interact with both teachers and their peers.  Effective communication alone does not offer effective building blocks to a strong teacher-student relationship; the learning environment plays a key role nurturing student’s abilities.

One of the most challenging aspects of nurturing a good teacher-student relationship is the different personality traits of students. Some students are hardworking but are introverts, while other students are naturally aggressive, hence distracting others affecting the learning environment. Students have varied abilities; other students might not fit in a highly competitive learning environment. Teachers need to address such challenges by not only being extremely patient. Teachers need to be lenient at the same time be strict, any excess of any of the two might hinder students from learning effectively.

The effective teacher-student relationship evolves and needs time, teacher act as mothers for students during their early years in school.  They guide them and encourage them to be positive about life. As students progress to secondary level, teachers focus more on academic achievement forgetting about the life values.  Concentrating on academic achievements alone and not instilling moral values might affect student personality. There is the need for teachers to make adjusted in their teaching approaches to accommodate student varied need. Students come from mixed cultural and social backgrounds; therefore, teachers need incorporate the different values to make students feel part of the learning process.

Giving individualized student attention means allocating appropriate time to address different needs of students. Having a better understanding of students means understanding their values, their weak areas, and challenges and addressing them individually. Being able to develop a level of understanding with every student, they will feel valued, and this would boost their self-esteem. All these positive behavior will be reflected in their grades and their general behavior.

Teachers need to make students feel accepted by being warm and nurturing, and teachers need to be aware of student’s thoughts and feelings and make them feel important.  All these require being present within them throughout the day. The size of the class and the number of students in a class is vital in enhancing good student’s teacher relationship. A larger class would mean spending more time with many students that can be difficult .Teachers need to provide individualized attention to each student; therefore, a small class would be a better environment for both teachers and students.

Building a positive relationship with students makes students positive about school in general. Students become free to make mistakes and seek help whenever necessary. It is not surprising that research studies reveal that constructive teacher student relationship has positively affected student academic performance. The natures of relationship teachers have with their students have largely affected student’s socioeconomic status and their professional development.  Teacher’s relationship with students matters more. Any teacher who wants to make a real and lasting difference among his students need to put more effort in building high-performance students through effective interaction and creating a conducive learning environment for all his students.

Essay On Teacher

Explore the qualities that make a great teacher in our insightful essay on teachers – a must-read for educators, parents, and students alike.

Table of Contents

Essay On Teacher (Set 1)

Essay on teacher (set 2), recommended book, essay on teacher (set 4), essay on teacher (set 5), frequently asked questions (faqs).

As a teacher, I understand that building relationships with students is of utmost importance. Not only are we educators; we’re mentors, role models, and guides as well – helping young people navigate the complexities of the world while offering support as they grow and learn. In this essay on teachers, we will explore all facets of this important profession; whether you’re a teacher yourself, a parent of students in our schools, or a student yourself this post will shed some light on this essential service and offer tips for becoming the best possible instructor possible!

We will explore what qualities make a great teacher, such as patience, empathy, and passion for learning. Additionally, we’ll address some of the challenges teachers are currently facing – from managing classrooms to dealing with difficult students and parents – before exploring what impact teachers can have both academically and personally on their students.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll find links to resources that can help you further explore teaching. These may include books, websites, or products designed to strengthen your teaching abilities while connecting with fellow educators.

So whether you’re an experienced educator looking to hone your craft, or an interested parent or student looking for more insight and information into this profession, we hope this essay on teachers will provide some insightful and educational materials. Let’s get down to work!

Teachers are special people who help us learn and grow. Teachers teach us the fundamentals such as reading, writing, and problem-solving; but more than that they inspire us to be kind, curious, and creative individuals.

A good teacher is patient and kind. They understand that learning can be challenging for everyone and always offer assistance when we need it or provide encouragement when we feel discouraged.

Teachers work tirelessly to create an atmosphere in their classroom where all children feel included and valued, encouraging us to work collaboratively, respect each other’s differences, and find peaceful solutions to problems.

As students and educators ourselves, we should express our thanks and appreciation for their hard work by working hard, being kind and respectful, and thanking them for all they do.

Remember, teachers are special people who make an enormous difference in our lives – take the time now to appreciate all they do! Let’s thank them for everything!

Teachers are like superheroes – with the power to transform our world through education. Their guidance inspires and motivates us all, helping us realize our fullest potential and reach it faster than ever before.

An exceptional teacher is someone who cares deeply for their students and wants them to succeed. They’re patient and understanding, taking time to get to know each student personally.

Teachers use their creativity and expertise to make learning fun and engaging for their students in the classroom, coming up with games, projects, and activities to help us understand complex ideas and concepts.

But being a teacher can be hard work; teachers spend long hours grading papers and planning lessons; they face challenges due to challenging students or limited resources – yet remain dedicated to both their craft and students.

Showing our appreciation for teachers can take many forms; listening carefully, asking thoughtful questions, and working diligently in class are all ways we can show our gratitude and show them we appreciate all they do for us. Additionally, saying thank you and showing how much we value their contributions can also show our thanks.

Conclusion Teachers are true superheroes in education; they shape our future through caring, creative teaching methods that lead to our success. Let’s thank them for all they do to make our world a better place!

Essay On Teacher (Set 3)

Teachers play an incredibly valuable role in our lives. They’re there to guide our growth and enable us to prepare ourselves for what lies ahead.

An amazing teacher is someone who is passionate about their subject matter and enjoys teaching it, with the ability to make even complex topics accessible and interesting for students.

Teachers play an essential part in our personal growth. They teach us fundamental values such as respect, kindness, and perseverance while inspiring us to pursue our dreams and believe in ourselves.

Teaching can be an exhausting career; teachers encounter unique challenges such as difficult students, tight budgets, and an ever-evolving curriculum. But teachers remain committed to making an impactful difference in the lives of their pupils every day.

Teachers deserve our thanks for showing respect, hard work, and engagement during class time. Additionally, it would be nice if we took time out of each day to thank them and acknowledge how much their efforts are appreciated.

Teachers are unsung heroes in our society, educating students and shaping our collective future one at a time. Let us all take the opportunity to thank them for all they do and show our appreciation for their hard work!

Some More Topics

ESSAYS & LETTER WRITING FOR JUNIORS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL

Teachers serve as guides along our life’s path, leading us through challenges of learning and growth to discover our passions and advance our skills.

An exceptional teacher is someone patient, kind, and supportive. They understand the challenges associated with learning can be hard; everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses – yet still encourage us to keep trying when we become discouraged.

Teachers also help us develop vital life skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and effective communication. In addition, they demonstrate ways to be contributing members of society while at the same time being responsible members.

No matter the obstacles they encounter such as long hours and limited resources, teachers still show up each day determined to make an impactful difference in the lives of their students. Their dedication is truly inspirational for us all.

Teachers deserve our appreciation for being respectful, engaged, and enthusiastic learners. We should thank them for all they do and express how much we value their hard work.

Teachers are indispensable guides on our life’s journey. They instill invaluable values and skills into us that we will carry throughout our lives, so let’s thank our teachers for helping us become the best versions of ourselves!

Teachers are champions of education, fighting tirelessly to ensure every child has access to learning and growth. Teachers inspire us all to be our best selves and strive towards reaching our dreams.

An incredible teacher is someone who demonstrates both enthusiasm and care for the subject being taught, resulting in learning that is exciting, and encouraging us to explore new ideas while encouraging critical thought.

Teachers play an essential part in our emotional growth. By creating a safe and welcoming learning environment where we can freely express ourselves without judgment from teachers, they help develop resilience and self-confidence by teaching us to trust ourselves and push through challenges to meet goals.

Teachers remain unsung heroes of society; shaping our future through one student at a time. Despite facing many obstacles such as limited resources and demanding schedules, they still work tirelessly to make a difference for their pupils. They truly make a positive contribution.

Respect, engagement, and enthusiasm can help us show our appreciation for teachers. Additionally, we should thank them for everything they have done to assist in our success and to improve society at large.

Teachers are the true heroes of education, fighting tirelessly to secure our society’s future. Their wisdom inspires challenges and supports us – helping us all be our best versions. Let’s thank our teachers for everything they do and honor their important efforts!

Essay On Teacher (Set 6)

Teachers are at the core of education, providing us with knowledge and skills that help prepare us for lifelong success. Teachers help us discover our interests and talents while leading us toward an enriching future that promises fulfillment and satisfaction.

An exceptional teacher is someone who embodies patience, kindness, and empathy; someone who connects with their students on an individual basis by understanding their unique challenges and providing assistance throughout their journey. An ideal learning environment should enable children to safely explore, take risks, and develop as individuals.

Teachers play an invaluable role in our social development. They teach us how to interact with others ethically and respectfully, building strong relationships while working effectively as a team. Furthermore, teachers foster an environment in which all of their students feel valued and respected for who they are as individuals.

Even when faced with limited resources and overcrowded classrooms, teachers still show up each day with great passion for their profession. Their commitment inspires us to be our best selves and have an impactful impact on the world.

Teachers deserve our appreciation for being responsible and respectful students, arriving on time, completing our assignments on schedule, and being open-minded toward learning new material. Additionally, we should thank them for their dedication and hard work; acknowledging how integral their role in our lives may be.

Teachers are at the core of education, providing us with the knowledge, skills, and guidance we need for success in life. Teachers are unsung heroes in society who work tirelessly to make an impactful difference in students’ lives – let’s thank our teachers and recognize their important work!

Conclusion Teachers are unsung heroes in society, shaping the minds of our youth to prepare them for brighter futures. Hopefully, these six essays on teachers have shed some light on the significant roles they play and inspired you to show your gratitude.

If this post has been informative and beneficial to you, please share it with someone who could gain from its content. Also, visit Playway Teacher for additional insights into education as well as resources.

Thank you for stopping by our site; we hope to see you back again soon! We thank you for choosing to visit us, and hope that soon after visiting again we may meet again soon!

What qualities make a great teacher?

A great teacher possesses qualities such as patience, empathy, and a passion for learning. They inspire students to be kind, curious, and creative individuals.

How do teachers contribute to students’ personal growth?

Teachers play a crucial role in students’ personal growth by instilling fundamental values like respect, kindness, and perseverance, and by inspiring them to pursue their dreams.

What challenges do teachers face in their profession?

Teachers face challenges like managing classrooms, dealing with difficult students and parents, and working with limited resources. Despite these challenges, they remain committed to making a positive impact on their students.

How can students show appreciation for their teachers?

Students can show appreciation by being respectful, engaged, and enthusiastic learners. Additionally, expressing gratitude through words and actions, such as asking thoughtful questions, is a meaningful way to appreciate teachers.

Why are teachers considered unsung heroes in society?

Teachers are unsung heroes because they work tirelessly to shape the minds of the youth, facing challenges like limited resources and demanding schedules, yet remain dedicated to making a positive difference in students’ lives.

What role do teachers play in social development?

Teachers contribute to social development by teaching ethical and respectful interactions, building strong relationships, and fostering an environment where students feel valued and respected for their individuality.

How can parents support teachers in their efforts?

Parents can support teachers by encouraging their children to be respectful and engaged in class. Additionally, staying involved in their children’s education and expressing gratitude for the teacher’s efforts are ways to provide support.

What impact can teachers have academically and personally on students?

Teachers can have a significant impact academically by imparting knowledge and skills. They contribute to students’ growth by instilling values, inspiring them to pursue their dreams, and building their confidence.

Why is teaching considered a challenging career?

Teaching is considered challenging due to managing diverse classrooms, facing limited resources, and adapting to an ever-evolving curriculum. Despite these challenges, teachers remain dedicated to their profession.

How can educators further enhance their teaching abilities?

Educators can enhance their teaching abilities by exploring resources such as books, websites, or products designed to strengthen their skills and connect with fellow educators. Links to such resources can be found at the bottom of the provided content.

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• Teacher Essay for Students in English

Importance of Teachers in Our Lives

Teachers are those who make children knowledgeable and cultured. A teacher is a beautiful gift given by god because god is a creator of the whole world and a teacher is a creator of a whole nation. A teacher is such an important creature in the life of a student, who through his knowledge, patience and love give a strong shape to a student’s whole life. 

A teacher shares academic knowledge, ethical values and assimilates moral values that help us shape our personality as better human beings. They represent an open book and try to share their life experience for a better tomorrow. A teacher has many qualities, they are efficient in their student’s life and success in every aspect. A teacher is very intelligent. They know how the mind of students gets concentrated in studies.

 During teaching, a teacher uses creativity so that students can concentrate on their studies. They are a repository of knowledge and have the patience and confidence to take responsibility for the future of the student. They only want to see their students successful and happy. Teachers are very prestigious people in the society, who through their magic of education, take the responsibilities of raising the lifestyle and mind level of the common people. 

Parents expect a lot from teachers. Teachers are the second parents who help the students balance their lives and spend the maximum childhood time. Just as our parents influence our childhood years, our teachers help shape us into the people we want to become when we grow up, having a huge impact on our lives. Students have complete faith in their teachers. In younger years, Students used to listen to their teachers more than anyone else as they used to spend more time with them than anyone else. 

The role of the teacher varies from class to game. A teacher is an important creature in everyone’s life who appears to do different things in our life. They are the creator of a wonderful future for our nation. 

Importance of a Teacher

A teacher has an important place not only in student life but also in every phase of life. They have all qualities which they distribute in their students. They know that not everyone has the same ability to receive, so a teacher observes all the abilities of each of their students and in the same way, they teach children. A teacher is a great listener of knowledge, prosperity, and light, from which we can benefit greatly throughout our life. Every teacher helps their students in choosing their path. Teachers teach their students how to respect elders. They tell their students the difference between respect and insult and many more. A teacher equips his/her student with the knowledge, skills, and positive behavior honored which the student never feels lost. The teacher makes them aware of how to use time and the restriction of time. A good teacher makes a good impression on his students. When any student makes a mistake, the teacher teaches them a lesson and also makes them realize their mistake. They teach us to wear clean clothes, eat healthy food, stay away from the wrong food, take care of parents, treat others well, and help us in understanding the importance of completing work. 

A teacher has many qualities which hold a special place in every student’s life. Teachers embrace various roles they are our friends when we get sad, our parents when we are hurt, and always good advisers. Teachers reward their students for their good work while sometimes punishing them for realizing the mistake to understand that this is not right for their lives.

Children’s future and present both are made by the teacher. He also enhances a good society by creating a good student throughout his life. Only a teacher knows what kind of association his student lives in and what kind of association he holds.

Teachers are great role models. The teachers influence students’ decidedness. For example, India’s most respectable President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, achieved his position as a great aerospace engineer because of his teacher. Mr. Siva Subramania Iyer’s teachings on how birds fly influenced Dr. Kalam’s contribution to society.

Not only in the education field, but there are also numerous examples in sports too, where teachers played a vital role in shaping the career of the athletes. A notable example is batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who credits his coach and teacher, Mr. Ramakant Achrekar, for success. Like this, there are numerous examples in various fields of dance, music, acting, arts, science where teachers act as a pivotal role in shaping the life of their disciples.

Relation of Student and the Teacher

The relationship between the teacher and the student was very sacred in ancient times as education was so perfect. There are so many stories written in our scriptures that revolve around student and teacher relationships. Out of all those, the supreme sacrifice made by Eklavya is of prime importance and showcases a student’s dedication towards his teacher. 

Alas, This relation is lacking in recent times. Nowadays, it is considered a mere profession. It has become a business or source of income compared to earlier days where it was considered a noble profession. We should be conscious enough not to stain this noble profession and should not create an example that lifts people’s trust in teachers.

In India, we gave great importance to the teacher. According to the Indian concept, the teacher is the spiritual and intellectual father of the teacher. No education is possible without the help of the teacher. He is regarded as the “Guru” – a speculator, a companion, and a guide.

In ancient India, the transmission of knowledge was oral, and the teacher was the sole custodian of knowledge. The relationship between the teacher and the students was amiable and deep in ancient times. 

Hard Work is the Key to be a Teacher

It takes a lot of hard work to be a good teacher. First of all, always respect the elders and also obey them. Concentration should be increased toward society and education. To be a good teacher, one has a sense of unity in the heart, does not discriminate against anyone, everyone should be seen with a glance. They always encourage students, they never criticize their students. Develops a good interpersonal relationship with a student. One should always tell good things to their younger ones and always treat the classmate well, always take inspiration from the teacher.

The teacher has a huge contribution to our life. No one can developmentally, socially, and intellectually in their life without a teacher. Many teachers slap students, many give punishment but in the end, the teacher is never bad. It only depends on the way they teach, which is different for everyone and this creates a different image in the student’s mind. They do whatever just to make our future bright.

Every year, some teachers get honored. Teachers’ day is celebrated every year on 5 September, in memory of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, India’s second President. India is a home ground of some great teachers like Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Premchand, Swami Vivekanand, who have given some great lessons of life which are still in trend. On this day a special ceremony takes place in the school, in which students participate enthusiastically. A nation always honors all those teachers who help in eradicating ignorance of darkness. A teacher is an ocean of knowledge, we should keep acquiring knowledge on a subject for as long as possible.

FAQs on Teacher Essay for Students in English

1. Why are Teachers are Important?

Teacher are building block of the nation. Children’s future and present both are made by the teacher. He also enhances a good society by creating a good student throughout his life.

2. What Makes a Good Teacher?

It takes a lot of hard work to be a good teacher. They always have to study and gain knowledge. To be a teacher good one have a sense of unity in the heart, do not discriminate against anyone, everyone should be seen with a glance.

3. What Should Be the Qualities to Be a Good Teacher?

Given are some qualities to be a good teacher

They always encourage students, they never criticize their students.

Develops a good interpersonal relationship with a student.

Imparts moral values and values of life.

Develop self-confidence in students.

4. When is Teacher’s Day celebrated and after whom?

Every year, teachers’ day is celebrated on 5th September, in memory of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, India’s second President.

5. Give an example reflecting how a teacher shaped the life of their disciple.

One of the prominent examples is of our Ex-President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam achieved his position as a great aerospace engineer because of his teacher, Mr. Siva Subramania Iyer who introduced him to the science behind birds being able to fly.

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• School Education /

Essay on Teacher: Our Friend, Philosopher and Guide in 100, 250 & 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Mar 22, 2024

Teachers are like the guiding stars in our educational journey. They shine our path with knowledge and encouragement. A teacher is a person who helps us learn and grow. They are the ones who guide us through our education and help us to become the best versions of ourselves. Teachers come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: they are passionate about teaching. In this blog, we’ll explore the enchanting role of teachers through the eyes of a student, celebrating their invaluable contributions to our lives.

Table of Contents

• 1 Why are Teachers Important?
• 2 Sample Essay on Teacher in 100 Words
• 3 Sample Essay on Teacher in 250 Words
• 4 Sample Essay on Teacher in 300 Words

Why are Teachers Important?

Teachers help mould today’s youth into the responsible adults of tomorrow. What teachers teach the children at their young age, makes an impact on the students that stays with them for the rest of their lives.

The power of moulding the next generation into great leaders lies in the hands of teachers. This holds the potential of uplifting the society in the near future. Indirectly, teachers are the key to transforming millions of lives all around the globe.

Sample Essay on Teacher in 100 Words

A teacher is a person who helps us understand ourselves. They are the supporters who help us through tough times. Teachers are important because they help us to become the best versions of ourselves. They are like superheroes with the power to ignite our curiosity and help us grow. They teach us numbers, alphabets, and fascinating stories. They are patient listeners, ready to answer our questions and wipe away our doubts. They inspire us to dream big and show us that with hard work, we can achieve anything. A teacher’s love is like a warm hug that makes learning exciting and enjoyable.

Also Read: Teacher Self Introduction to Students and Samples

Sample Essay on Teacher in 250 Words

Teachers are magical beings who turn the pages of our books into captivating adventures. Teachers create colorful classrooms where learning becomes joyous. Their dedication is seen when they explain complex problems in simple ways and solve problems in math and science. With smiles on their faces, they teach us history, nurture our creativity through art, music, and storytelling, and help us express our feelings and thoughts.

Apart from books, teachers also impart life lessons. They teach us to be kind, respectful, and responsible citizens. They show us the value of friendship and the importance of helping others. Teachers celebrate our achievements, no matter how small, and cheer us on during challenges.

A teacher is a person who has a profound impact on our lives. They are the ones who teach us the things we need to know to succeed in life, both academically and personally. They are also there to support us and help us through tough times.

There are many different qualities that make a good teacher. Some of the most important qualities include patience, understanding, and a love of teaching. Good teachers are also able to connect with their students and make learning fun. A good teacher can make a real difference in a student’s life. They can help students develop their talents and abilities, and they can also help them to become confident and self-motivated learners.

Also Read- How to Become a Teacher?

Sample Essay on Teacher in 300 Words

In a world, teachers are essential as they bridge the gap between the unknown and the known. They take the time to understand each student’s unique needs and help them modify and hone their skills. In this process of our learning, they become a friend, philosophers, and guides.

Teachers are more than just knowledge sharers. They are like gardeners, nurturing the seeds of kindness, respect, and responsibility in a student’s heart. They teach us to be a good friend and have empathy. They also encourage us to care for our planet, reminding us that we are its custodians.

As we journey through school, teachers become our guides, showing us the various paths we can take. They encourage us to discover our passions, whether it’s solving math puzzles, painting masterpieces, or playing musical notes. They celebrate our victories, whether big or small and help us learn from our mistakes, turning them into stepping stones toward success. 

A good teacher can make a real difference in a student’s life. They can help students to develop their talents and abilities, and they can also help them to become confident and self-motivated learners.

I am grateful for all the teachers who have helped me along the way. They have taught me so much, and they have helped me to become the person I am today. I know that I would not be where I am without them.

Remember, each day with a teacher is a new adventure, a new opportunity to learn, and a new chance to grow. So, young learners, let’s raise our hands and give a cheer to our teachers, the real-life magicians who make education a truly enchanting place to live.

Also Read – Self Introduction for Teacher Interview

Related Reads:-     

A. Here are two lines lines for a good teacher: Teachers are like shining stars guiding us to the path of knowledge. Teachers are our guardian angels.

A. A teacher is not an acronym, so there is no full form for it, yet some students exhibit affection for their teacher. It also allows one to express creativity. Following are some popular full forms of Teacher: T – Talented, E-Educated, A-Adorable, C-Charming, H-Helpful. E-Encouraging, R-Responsible.

A. A teacher is an educator or a person who helps one acquire knowledge and imparts wisdom through teaching methods.

This brings us to the end of our blog on Essay on Teacher. Hope you find this information useful. For more information on such informative topics for your school, visit our essay writing and follow Leverage Edu . 

Rajshree Lahoty

Meet Rajshree Lahoty, the writer behind insightful blogs on study abroad adventures and general knowledge trivia. Armed with a pen mightier than the sword (and a keyboard!), she navigates through the lanes of knowledge with a dash of research and a sprinkle of information. Join her escapades in solving the mysteries of the world!

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Essay on Teacher in English for Kids and Students | 500 Words Essay on Role of Teacher in Modern Society

February 7, 2024 by Veerendra

Essay on Teacher: Teachers are a vital part of our lives; their teachings remain as a memory with us till we die. It is them who have held our hands and have helped us become what we are and which profession we choose for ourselves.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

We have compiled long and short essays written in simple language as per the student’s requirements, where the students can relate to their personal lives.

Long and Short Essays on Teacher in English for Kids and Children

Given below is an extended essay of approximately 400-500 words and is usually done by the students of classes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, and a short piece of nearly 100-150 words that are generally done by the students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Long Essay on My Class Teacher in English 500 words

A teacher is a maneuverer of an entire nation. He plays a pivotal role in constructing a scholarly society. He does away with the umbra of ignorance from a lot of labor in his act, according to the need of his audience. Everybody has something valuable inside him. A good teacher discovers the cloistered treasure inside of each student. Indeed the lifestyle of a teacher is much unornamented, and he has no pride and zealous inside him. All esteem him. Moreover, teachers have a significant impact on our lives and society. They are of great importance to our parent’s life because they expect a lot from them. We can improve the teaching scenario by differentiating excellent and efficient teachers from bad teachers. Though the number of bad teachers is not much, still, the numbers are significant.

A good teacher is not too hard to find; we need to know where to look. The signs of a good teacher are that they understand the importance of being well-prepared in advance for the class to maximize productivity. Chalking out their daily routine helps them to achieve their everyday goals. They have ample knowledge about the subject they teach. In addition to that, they know how to make the subject exciting and straightforward for the students to cope up.

Teachers Day Essay is an important topic for all students to understand because it celebrates the importance of Teachers. A teacher regularly updates himself to provide maximum knowledge to his students and tries to engage their students by presenting unique and exciting facts about the subject to avoid making the learning process too mainstream, which further helps the students to fetch good marks.

Most importantly, a teacher does not only focus on academic development, but they take into account character development and prioritize it. They understand what the students are going through and help them deal with the problems. The teachers are like our second parents, and they make the students feel home when they are far away from home.

With time, gradually, our teachers become our friends and some even our role models. They continuously inspire us and push us beyond the limits to help us pursue our dream. The teachers do not stick to the tag of being just a teacher. Instead, they adapt themselves as and when the situation demands. They become our friends when we need a place to vent out and provide a shoulder to cry on when we are sad. They care and love as just like our parents do and give us great life advice. When it comes to the academic and professional field, they enlighten us with what to do.

A teacher is not only a teacher. He is a beautiful amalgamation of a mentor, a philosopher, a torch-bearer, a friend, and above all, a surrogated parent to the children. The attributes that make a teacher elevate from the ordinary stage to the ideal stage are his compassionate behavior and open-mindedness. His jovial and approachable nature helps the students to interact with him easily. The students start idolizing a teacher when they see their passion for the subject, and his aura attracts the students to love and admire the matter, which makes learning easy. World Teachers Day is celebrated on 5th October every year.

Short Essay on Teacher 150 words in English

Throughout our entire lives, we have people who are very near and dear to us and hold an extraordinary place in our hearts, and teachers are one of them. They are a blessing from God to us, and they are the reason behind a well-built nation. They are the ones to teach us that pen is mightier than a sword and help us elevate our living standards. They impart knowledge and imbibe mortality within the students. Teachers take up the roles of a parent, a friend, and a guide whenever needed. The teachers shape and personality our future beautifully.

10 Lines Essay about Teachers Role in Students Life in English 150 words

• Teachers help students and other people learn and progress their life.
• The teacher is responsible for shaping the career and lives of his/her students.
• Teachers feel honor and pride to direct their students towards the right path of life.
• Every student is equal in the teacher’s eyes; they never do partiality.
• Teachers always encourage and award their pupils for good works and punish them for wrongdoings.
• Their ultimate goal in life is to provide quality education to their students.
• They are the ones to teach their students to differentiate between good and bad things in life.
• A teacher knows that not all students are equally capable, so they put in extra effort for those who are weak.
• A good teacher makes the learning process fun and enjoyable.
• A teacher’s good impression on his/her students, impact positively, and the students consider him/her as their role model.

FAQ’s Essay on Importance of Teacher In Our Life

Question 1. Why are teachers important in our lives?

Answer: Teachers play a critical role in shaping our future and making us a better individual. They know that their students are the future of the nation, and they put in their best efforts to groom the students and pass on their knowledge to their pupils.

Question 2. Why do we need a teacher?

Answer: In today’s world, computers are taking over humans, but teachers are a vital part of our lives, which machines can never take over. Personal one-to-one interaction is essential for understanding the subjects in depth.

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What Makes an Effective Teacher? Analytical Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

An effective Teacher

Pedagogy and practice, the way these factors interact, professional characteristics, access and fairness, classroom climate and management, impact of educational reforms, the nature of learners and learning.

From the image of an effective teacher, the analysis will be based on the teacher’s qualification as well as career history, her skills of instruction, her professional characteristics as well as the classroom setting or management (Jones, Jenkin, & Lord, 2006).

In general, there are three major factors espoused from the image and include the setting of classroom, skills of teaching and professional characteristics.

As depicted from the image, each of these factors provides not just complementary ways, but also unique ways that the teacher can comprehend their contribution. It must be understood that they all work or interact to avail value-based teaching.

From the image, effective teaching entails making hard and principled decisions, making cautious decisions, as well as respecting the intricate nature of the mission of educational (Farr, 2010).

On top of the technical skills and knowledge the teacher uses in his everyday practice, he or she must be conscious of his profession’s ethical direction.

Based on this, the primary mission of the effective teacher depicted in the image is to encourage the advancement of dispositions, skills as well as understanding, whilst recognizing considerately and sensibly an array of learners’ conditions and requirements.

According to Stronge (2007) teachers who are effective should have a collection of instructional strategies and methods, and also remain reflective and critical in relation to their practice. In general, his or her professional characteristics or responsibilities should be focused on providing education to students.

In nature, these attributes of an effective teacher different. From the image, it can easily be made out that skills of instruction and professional aspects are key factors relating to what is brought to the job by a teacher.

In the image, the professional features are basally the continuing trends of behavior that are blended to drive the activities of the teacher (Farr, 2010). The micro-behaviors are some of the examples of these things and are covered by the skills of instruction.

Generally, in as much as skills of instruction can be acquired through learning, managing to carry them forward for the time the teacher is still actively involved in his work depends on the nature of professional aspects.

Different from the two factors discussed above is the classroom setting. Generally, it connotes or denotes a measure of results delivered by professional characteristics and skills of instruction.

The classroom setting allows the instructor to fully comprehend or know the level of contentment of her students in class. The contentment is in the context of different dimensions of classroom setting created by the teacher and which functions to instigate or initiate student motivation to learn.

From the image, the professional skills or characteristics help the teacher to hold his student to account. This generally involves setting up clear objectives as well as parameters in order to hold students responsible for their performance in class.

This behavior pattern makes it easier for the instructor to fully display skills of instruction such as offering opportunities for students or learners to be in charge of their conduct or to be accountable in their studies.

When this happens, skills of instruction are put into use and students are likely to feel that there is some feeling or sense of orderliness in class or even some form of support that allows them to attempt novel things (Farr, 2010).

This should not be generalized as it is only an example relating to the image used in discussion. Other methods of instruction might turn out to be highly effective in other settings with different students.

It must be emphasized that in education, there are many ways that determine the way instructors choose the approaches to employ in classroom in order to fully influence the way his or her students feel about the instruction in general.

According to Farr (2010) professional aspects of an effective teacher are behavior patterns, which are regularly displayed. From the image, professional characteristics are how the teacher manages to execute his job.

They mainly involve things such as values and self-image or simply, the inspiration that drives performance, as well as the manner in which the teacher routinely approaches or responds to circumstances.

Teachers who are effective always depict unique combinations of features that foster or generate success for their students (Jones, Jenkin, & Lord, 2006).

As seen in the image, the professional aspects are grouped into a number of classes including thinking, professionalism, leading, prospect, and relating with other people and, setting and planning.

For one to be called an effective teacher, he or she must have strength in each of the mentioned aspects. When the mentioned aspects are strongly held and enacted they form a powerful foundation for professionalism in the teaching job.

Respect for other people, as factor, emphasizes all things that are done by a teacher who is effective, and is normally concerned with ensuring that everyone treats not just pupils but also other school members with respect (Jones, Jenkin, & Lord, 2006).

Teachers who are highly effective unequivocally regard others with high value, as well as respect the diversity within their school. A teacher who is effective usually manages to create a great feeling of community not just in the class, but also in the entire school.

Teachers who are effective also provide support and challenge. That is, they do not only cater for the needs of students, but also continually express the expectations as well as build the self-esteem of students in a way that can succeed in life and as learners.

In most circumstances, teachers who are effective usually display confidence, expressing hopefulness regarding their own abilities to deliver in class. The confidence grows as time goers by to a point that the teacher feels like he or she can now deliver in most situations.

Teacher who are effective draw on their own experience to help the not just students but also the entire school to achieve their objectives (Jones, Jenkin, & Lord, 2006). This can be done through shaping policies and procedures used in schools.

Because teachers who are effective are always committed, they are usually consistent and fair, and spend most of their class time building trust with their students.

Teacher who are effective are have been known be genuine and usually create the conducive environment that allows students to venture out, express themselves fully and are usually not troubled about making mistakes. In the teaching profession, this is a very important point for initiating learning.

The progress of these teachers in their profession is partly based on the fact that they stick to the objectives or believes of their profession.

These teachers are usually supportive of their students, and their professional feeling is at the core or center of effective teaching. When taken together, these characteristics of a teacher who is effective result in increased concern for students as well as their success.

According to Stronge (2007) classroom climate or setting is the general perception by students of the way it feels like being in a classroom of under a particular teacher. In this case, such perceptions or feelings impact the motivation of every student not just to learn, but also perform according to their abilities.

Jones, Jenkin and Lord (2006) indicate that teachers who are effective use their behaviors, skills as well as knowledge to create, in their classrooms, a learning setting that effective. These teachers create settings that optimize learning opportunities, in which students are not just well managed, but also encouraged to learn.

Order in classrooms is always important; therefore, from the viewpoint of students, they are always anticipating an instructor who can create orderliness and a sense of security as such aspects gives them an opportunity to take actively part in the class.

Jones, Jenkin and Lord (2006) indicate that the setting in classroom also depicts considerable relationships with professional aspects and teacher skills.

That is, the level or extent that a teacher is willing to develop their characteristics as well as skills that impact classroom environment, can engage or motivate his or her students effectively.

As Stronge (2007) established, the progress of students is considerably impacted by an instructor who exhibits both high levels of teaching skills and professionalism. These factors can result in the establishment of favorable environment in classroom.

Farr (2010) based on lucid proof of the progress of students in classroom; the teaching profession is a platform for professional development. In particular, it stresses the significance and influence of teachers in enhancing school and classroom standards.

Generally, teaching that is effective develops on a daily basis, supported by research that impacts the practices and beliefs of educators. It mainly avails higher standards for instructors mainly certification, as well as provision of in-house training for professional teaching staff (Farr, 2010).

Furthermore, support and training particularly time for teachers not to plan, but also to learn together and from each other.

With educational reform, instructors are repetitively challenged to adapt instruction mainly to diverse needs of students whilst maintaining high teaching standards (Jones, Jenkin, & Lord, 2006). With inclusion, all students get to learn best, especially when respect diverse ways of carrying out things.

With time and with effective instructional guidance and support, learners who are successful can easily create consequential, consistent representations of knowledge. In addition, the strategic learning aspect requires students to be led towards the set goals.

In other words, students are supposed to not just generate, but also pursue goals that pertinent (Stronge, 2007). Effective teachers in this regard must create student learning goals that are meaningful and in line with their educational and personal aspirations and interests (Stronge, 2007).

In addition, they are supposed to assist learners to integrate and acquire knowledge and also learners to develop, apply, and assess their strategic skills of learning using approaches such as thematic organization.

Farr, S. (2010). Teaching as leadership: the highly effective teacher’s guide to closing the achievement gap. San Francisco, SC.: Jossey-Bass.

Jones, J., Jenkin, M., & Lord, S. (2006). Developing effective teacher performance. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Paul Chapman.

Stronge, J. (2007). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, Va. : Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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Bibliography

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•   Saturday, September 14, 2024

Future Educators

Helping America's Future Teachers

I Want to Become a Teacher Because | My Dream Job Essay

My dream is to become a teacher . If you have this dream, you’re not alone. Here’s a collection of short essays by aspiring teachers. Current and future education students were asked to describe their motivation; what inspires them to succeed at their teacher training studies.

In these 31 student essays, future educators answer the question “I want to become a teacher because …” or “I want to become a teacher to …”. The short student essays are grouped thematically, forming the top reasons to become a teacher.

1. Giving Brings Its Own Rewards

Helping people is the unifying theme as to why students are inspired and motivated to become teachers. Education is a field where you can help young people directly in a personal way; potentially changing their lives for the better. Teaching is more than just a job.

For a significant percentage of education students, the opportunity to be of service provides plenty of motivation to pursue a teaching career. In each Why I Want to Become a Teacher essay here, a future educator explains why teaching is an opportunity to do something meaningful and beneficial.

by Hanna Halliar

If I can make an impact in just one child’s life, I will be able to consider myself successful. That is my motivation. As a future educator, what else would it be?

Every day that is spent in class, the late nights at the library, the endless hours of studying are all just steps getting me closer to the goal. When I am still up at 1 a.m. struggling to keep my eyes open, but only half way through my 6 page paper I remember how excited I am to work with my own students one day.

To me, being a teacher is so much more than the typical response most people have towards education majors. “Oh, you’re going to be a teacher. You know how much you will make?” Yes, I’m aware that I will be making an average of $50,000 a year in Indiana.

To me being a teacher means that I get the opportunity to not only teach my students math, English, and science but to teach life lessons that will stick with them as well.  It means walking into school every day being the reason my students look forward to coming to school. It means being surrounded by crafts, books, and music and not being stuck in an office. It means educating our future generation. And if somebody has to do it, it should be somebody who is passionate about it.

So what motivates me to study? It is so simple, it is the kids.

by Savannah Stamates

I lay awake at night and practice my first morning message to my first round of students whom I will not meet for more than a year.

I wonder if I will have hungry children, happy children, or broken children. I wonder if I will be good enough or strong enough to reach those most in need.  I wonder if my students will trust me enough to tell me that they are hungry, happy, or scared.

I worry that I will not be strong enough to share their burden or provide a place for peace and learning. I worry that I will misread their actions or their words or miss them reaching out.

So I study, even when I am tired from working two jobs or sick of not being where I want to be. When my time comes to walk into that classroom, my worries and doubts will be silenced by the knowledge I have mastered and the dream I have finally achieved.

by Charity Latchman

Dreams for the future are subjective. They can be based on what we desire. But visionary dreams are not only for us. Imagine asking some of the greatest revolutionaries and pioneers about their dreams. They generally had others in mind. In the famous “I have a Dream” speech, Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr said “we” more than thirty times. Dreams are not for our benefit alone, but to encourage, inspire and benefit others.

Recently I graduated from California Baptist University with a degree in English literature. During my studies, I was cared for my disabled mother. She was a religious studies professor who inculcated me with a diligent and steadfast approach to schoolwork. Managing the role of caregiver with university studies was challenging. But the goal to become a teacher kept me going. Approaching graduation, my mother was diagnosed with throat cancer. She didn’t worry about herself as much as you might expect but kept pushing me to finish the final paper in the program.

With her encouragement, my faith, and a burning desire to teach English literature, I graduated. My motivation comes from wanting to help, to encourage, and to inspire others.  Teaching is an act of giving that has its own rewards.  Life’s trials bring ups and downs. But we must always strive to attain our dreams, especially when others are central to them.

by Katheryn England

As a high school senior, many people assume I’m prepared for college and know what I want to study after graduation. These assumptions cause me to experience moments of self-doubt. Then I re-evaluate what I want for myself, and what it is that keeps me working towards my dreams. Through the goals I’ve set for myself, I can maintain focus, move past my self-doubt and succeed. By focusing on my goals, I can make a difference in the world directly around me.

A goal I have in my life is to be an elementary teacher, also known as an early childhood teacher. As a teacher,  I can share the knowledge I’ve gained to leave behind a better future for our world .

Last year, I had the opportunity to work alongside a previous elementary teacher and mentor of mine. I’d visit her classroom daily, and taught lessons alongside her or independently. Uniquely, they were the opening act in my high school’s original winter play. They read first-hand from our scripts and learned what happens behind the scenes. Showing a new part of the world to the youth of my community has motivated me to pursue my dreams.

Remembering this experience and the positive influence I had on those students helps me overcome self-doubt and stay focused on my goals. Thanks to the goals I’ve set for my life, I not only can find purpose for my efforts, but find the will to be confident in whatever choices I make.

by Emma Lillard-Geiser

I have always known that I would become two things: a mother and a teacher. What I didn’t know is that I would become the mother before the teacher. Having a child that depends on me is what fuels my desire to succeed in life. When I get frustrated with my studies I take a deep breath, look at my daughter, and know that I have reason to persevere. I know that one hour of studying will give me hours with my daughter as soon as I am done.

My mother is a teacher and growing up I cherished learning from her. She had knowledge that I admired and I quickly realized that I had to spend my whole life learning. I love to learn, to have that light go off in my head when it all just clicks.

I cannot wait to see that light in the eyes of my daughter and my future students.  For every thing that I learn, is another thing I can teach someone else.  It isn’t easy to study when you have a small child to take care of but I know that my education will provide me with the ability to take care of her for the rest of our lives.

2. Help Disadvantaged Students

Students are disadvantaged for many reasons, whether it’s because of a handicap, where they live, economic disadvantage or a language barrier.

Future educators may want to become teachers so they can make a difference in the lives of students who face extra learning challenges. This special interest often comes from the future teacher’s own experience, either personally or involving people they’ve known.

by Ian T Thomason

While attending the University of Minnesota-Mankato, I have aspirations of becoming a Special Education Teacher. Becoming a Special Education Teacher and helping students who have a need for extra help and students who are having troubles with everyday life are things that I dream of doing.  I was in their shoes once and know how difficult it is to deal with everyday life and how nice it was have a teacher to talk to.

Becoming a Special Education Teacher is my ultimate goal and, when difficult times arise, I have to remind myself of the children out there who have it potentially worse than I. When I remember this, I also think back to all of the support that I had from my parents, family members, and teachers. I also know that there are lots of children who don’t have this type of support and, if I can be there for them, that would make my career choice all the more worth it.

My Special Education degree is something more than just a degree for me. It is a degree that allows me to help children improve their education. I realize that children are our future and that their minds are terrible things to waste. So, instead of wasting their minds, why not put our best foot forward to educate them? My dream is to help kids realize their full potential, promote education and a brighter future for every child.

by Katherine

Motivation allows you to persist through difficult circumstances. Mine comes from a desire to grow into an instructor who is able to make a difference to many children’s lives.

In elementary school, I actually was a special education student. I’ve had to work hard most days of my life to achieve anything. I could not have succeeded without the support of some absolutely amazing teachers. Now I desire to take on that supporting role for as many students as I can reach.

When a class or an assignment I don’t want to do come up, I think of what motivates me. And the motivation is children. Many students feel powerless about their education, just like I did.  I could be a teacher who turns their education around, providing vital support and motivation to succeed at their studies.  Ultimately, everyone motivates themselves by one way or another. My motivation comes from the pure desire to help future students.

by Robbie Watson

My road to graduate school has been a long one. I studied religion and culture in undergrad, interested in the material, yet not sure how I would apply it later. Yet I found places, got involved in community and international development, engaged with different cultures, and now feel I use my degree every day.

For over two years I worked alongside Congolese refugees in Rwanda, developing educational opportunities for youths who could not finish secondary school in the underfunded camps. It is these refugees, young and old, the students, the teachers, their passion and vision for a better future that has driven me to seek out more education for myself. I remember how they would pay from their families’ meager funds to attend classes led by volunteer teachers. When finances were against them, or time, or family obligations, or the dire depression of the camp life itself, or even government officials were against them, still those students attended, still those teachers taught.

It is their example of perseverance towards a goal against all odds that inspires me now. I think of them often, think of the friends they were, are still. And I think of how that passion is in me now, to better understand education so that I might better educate, and thus equip such downtrodden communities to work for transformation themselves. I work not only for myself, and am motivated by the potential in those students and educators, which is also in me, and in others like them.

by Natalie Pelayo

I’m a young Latino woman working towards the goal of earning a bachelor degree in bilingual education. On occasions, I feel a slowing in my motivation. But, every time it happens, I think about the goal and that pushes me to move forward.

Looking back to a middle school class I attended, there was a boy who never really participated. He sat in his hoodie, looking down to his desk. Only after trying to talk with him, I discovered he spoke with broken English and a thick Spanish accent. It seemed as if no-one in our class actually knew that he struggled to understand what was being taught because it was presented in English.

By his manner, it was apparent that he had already accepted a dismal fate. Past teachers may have been unable to communicate with him. Eventually, he’d become demoralized.  Thinking about the disadvantages he had to endure provides ongoing motivation to study hard.

I aim to become a bilingual elementary school teacher to support young Spanish-speaking children. As a teacher, I’ll be able to show them that they can succeed. Children need not grow up thinking they’re incapable of learning due to a language barrier. I’ll keep working towards my goal to help ensure teaching is inclusive of all children, no matter their first language.

by Abigail Young

I am an American citizen, but my whole life I have lived in Cameroon, Africa. I have been blessed with an enormous amount of opportunities and a great education at a private international school.

Every day I have seen children and teenagers around me who do not get the same education or have the same possibilities of a “bright” future. I see schools that are forced to have three children share a small table, paper, and pens. I have seen a badly lit room with poor roofs and walls made from bricks. Even in my school there are numerous Cameroonians, my friends, and classmates that do not have the same chances at a higher level education, although they work just as hard.

When I study, I study hard because I do not want to let this chance and opportunity go to waste. I study because I have been undeservedly blessed to be able to go the United States for a high education with better chances at getting scholarship money. I study my hardest because  it is my dream that I may come back and make a difference in countries like Africa with poor education systems . It should be a right for children to be able to learn like I have. Therefore, because of this mindset, I am driven to study not just out of thankfulness for my circumstances, but also in hope that I may be able to give other children a better chance, and a greater reason to study.

3. Helping Many People Is Achievable in Teaching

A powerful source of motivation for some education students is the potential to touch and positively impact the lives of many people. Education is a field of consequence and that’s a good reason for wanting to join the teaching profession.

Over the course of a long career, a classroom teacher may help shape the learning experience of hundreds or even thousands of students. In policy roles, educators can affect millions of people.

by Rachel Bayly

Through high school I worked as a teacher at a daycare. When I left for college I said goodbye to a lot of people, including my students. All summer I had woken up at five in the morning to go to work and wait for them to arrive and put a smile on my face. Those kids motivated me to keep waking up and working hard, and leaving them was not easy.

The thing that made that goodbye worth it, the reason that I keep pushing through this tying chapter of my life is that  I am determined to improve early childhood education in the United States .

I want to be a positive force in the lives of as many children as I possibly can, and I plan on doing that by improving standards and policies for early childhood education and making it more affordable.

Every week I write in my planner, “I will make a difference” and one way that I will change the lives of children and families. On days that I find myself asking, “why am I here?” “why am I going into debt, paying to be stressed out all the time?” I think of my students. I read my “I will make a difference” statements.

I remember that some children out there are stuck in low quality child care centers, they will never reach their full potential, and they need help. I keep working hard everyday so that I can help those children.

by Megan Burns

My ultimate goal is to change the lives of people. Studying to be a teacher is hard. All of the classes that are required, all of the practicums, and all of the time spent just to become a teacher is stressful, but the thought of being able to help just one person changes everything.

It takes one person to be a light in someone’s life. It take one person to be a helping hand. It takes one person to change an unmotivated, broken life, and make it brand new. Qualified teachers are those people.  We motivate students to do their best, we guide students to success when no one else will, and we are always available to listen.  One teacher can change the lives of thousands of students. That is my motivation.

I know that after college, I will be a teacher, a guider, a counselor, and a friend to so many students. No matter how many bad days I have or how many times I want to quit, I just think of what is to come in the future. I can be that change this world needs, even if its in a small high school classroom. It just takes one person.

by Victoria Shoemkaer

My dream is to make a difference in the life of children.

• To make them excited about learning.
• To make it fun the way it used to be when they were younger.
• To show them that someone cares about them and wants to see them succeed.
• To show that they are much more that a test score or a number.
• To believe in them so much, that I do not let them get discouraged from chasing their dreams.
• To showing them that everyone fails and it’s your recovery that determines what happens next.
• To sacrifice myself to gives them more opportunities for success.
• To encourage students to succeed in and out of the classroom for the betterment of themselves and the community.
• To inspire them to change the world, because they can.
• To help them transform into caring and compassionate adults who are ready to conquer the word, but remember where they came from.
• To teach them to do good in the world because anyone can accomplish doing well.

Most importantly, my dream is to make children feel like their voice is important and valued and that they are loved more than they know.

4. Lives Can Be Improved by Dedicated Instructors

Teaching a subject such as Math or English is the everyday task of a teacher. But our prospective teachers see a greater purpose in their training and career path.

The daily motivation to teach doesn’t come from the superficial advantages of a teaching career, such as great job security or extra vacation time. Here are stories by future educators who want to go beyond the curriculum and improve people’s lives all round.

by Savannah Luree Weverka

Teachers are the ones who ignited my love for learning and there is not a day that goes by when I do not challenge myself to a personal goal of lifelong learning.

My mother is a teacher, so I was a student educated in an institution filled with support and a home that also supported education. I recall many teacher “get-togethers” and Husker parties where an informal invitation led to my presence.

Due to all of this support and interaction received throughout my elementary and high school career, Elementary Education continues to be at the top of my career choices. And now, as a senior looking forward to graduating from high school,  teachers remain my role models .

In considering a focus in Elementary Education, I now realize that many teachers not only teach children eight hours of the day, but become doctors for scraped knees, dictionaries for challenging words, mediators between students, and parents away from home.

Now, as I am taking the steps to make my dream come true I hope to make school an escape to free their minds and expand their knowledge. I want to share my love of learning with my students.

by Aaron Banta

Since I was younger, I have had the dream of becoming a history teacher at the high school level. The reason I am striving for this career is thanks to a teacher I had.  They held such a passion for history and taught it so well that it made me want to keep learning everything I could about it.

In college, I have had to work multiple jobs and attend school full-time. I would wake up early in the morning and not get home until late at night. The one thing that kept me on top of my studying and work was the dream I have; to be able to teach history and express my love for it by teaching the next generation. I strive to impact their lives for the better just like mine was.

Being able to pass my courses and get a degree and teaching credentials is the first main goal I am striving for. But being able to have a positive impact on students I have will be an even greater goal that I want to accomplish. I am hoping to guide them through their study of my favorite subject so I can teach them about the world and help them just like my teacher had helped me.

by Chelsea Rogers

At USC Upstate, I am studying to be a Secondary Education Mathematics teacher. The math courses are not easy and the education courses pushes you to challenge yourself. The thought of being a future teacher is what motivates me to keep pushing.

Although I do not know any of my students, they are precious to me and I believe it is my job to change their lives for the better.  Teaching math is my job, but looking beyond my content and into the wellbeing of my students is my passion.

The question I always ask myself is how can I teach students who may not trust me? I have to establish a connection with each student so that they will see I care about them academically, physically, and emotionally. Once students see that you care about them in these areas, it becomes easier to teach them and they are willing to perform to the best of their ability because they know their teacher supports them 100 percent. Being a great teacher is what motivates me to continue striving for my degree.

by Micayla Watroba

One plus one is two. Phone is pronounced with an F sound. 60 divided by 15 is 4. An essay typically has five paragraphs. I know all these things because I went to school. I also had teachers that helped me understand it even when I didn’t get the same opportunities as everyone else.

See, when I was in first grade I was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia. This made school very hard. I was either out of school so often that I missed entire chapters or I was bullied so badly that I couldn’t focus because I was so scared. Having cancer also made it hard for my mom and dad to pay for food and rent much less after school activities and tutoring. I grew up knowing that there were some things that were just not in reach for us. 

For as bad as I had it, I can’t imagine having to live on the streets, going hungry, or even being taught in a language I don’t know.

My dream is to be the teacher that makes sure that every student gets an education that helps them succeed.  I want to make sure that my students not only enjoy being at school but feel safe while there.  My students will know that it doesn’t matter where they came from or what background they came from. I am going to be there and I will not leave them behind. This is my dream.

5. Promote Lifelong Learning in Young People

What inspires some people to become teachers is the power to set young people on the right education path. Helping children to have good early experiences and embrace the learning process can profoundly enhance someone’s life. The potential for transformative early development applies to handicapped and disadvantaged kids as much as anyone.

by Lesley Martinez-Silva

I aspire to make a difference in others’ lives through education. I’m studying to be an elementary school teacher because I believe that children can achieve so much more if they learn early of their potential.

Education has always been my priority. My parents always stressed the importance of obtaining an education, having missed that opportunity themselves. My parents taught me as a child that schooling was vital to success in life. Truly, that lesson has been the most important in my path to college. I don’t think I would’ve made it this far had I not taken my education seriously.

I want to teach others about the importance of education so they too can prosper.  Everything I’m learning at university is important for my future career and, if I don’t study it, I’m failing my future students. Every child deserves the best education available and I should strive to be the best educator possible to provide that for them. When balancing academics, work, and my social life, it can get challenging to keep going. But, with the future of children’s education in my hands, I always get back on track.

by Brianna Rivers

One of my goals is to become a teacher and work in an public elementary school within the greater Boston area (possibly my own elementary school). I want to be a teacher because I enjoy working with children and I know how important teachers are in children’s lives. I plan on receiving my Bachelor’s degree for Early Childhood Education and my Master’s degree in Special Education.

I want to major in Early Childhood Education because  early education is significant for children and is a building block for their future in learning . I also want to major in Special Education because I believe all children should receive equal learning opportunities as well as equal treatment (meaning an inclusive environment, etc).

I think all of my experiences have a positive impact on myself because I am learning more about what it takes to be a teacher and what it takes to be a good teacher. My experiences also have a positive impact on the children and adults I work with. I offer a helping hand to the teachers and a friendly face to the children.

I plan to continue to work hard and take advantage of learning opportunities to achieve both of my goals. Being a teacher is my desire and I will stop at nothing to be a great teacher one day.

by Jennamarie Moody

When I close my eyes, I picture myself in a school located in an urban setting, teaching a classroom of diverse yet alike students. These students are in the second grade, meaning that they are impressionable yet vulnerable to their environment whether this means at home, at school, or in their greater community.

Some of these students don’t speak English as their first language, and some come from low-income households that can limit their educational experiences outside of the classroom. And yet, no matter what differences these students bring to the table, their uniqueness flows throughout the classroom in such a positive energy that embraces, respects, and promotes learning. This is the goal I am working towards; the goal  to inspire our youth to become self-advocates for their learning .

Opportunities for equal educational experiences may not exist, however the beauty lies in the growth of love young students can develop as they are challenged in the classroom to question their surroundings. I plan to make a difference in the lives of the children I meet along the way, and to create a safe learning environment.

Although the tests for certification and studies can be difficult, my passion for education and dedication to shaping the lives of my students is what keeps me going. The end goal is to nurture the development of my students to become active and engaged participants in society, and that is what I intend to do completely.

by Julie Anderson

My long-time goal has been to become a teacher, and this year I’m in a class called Teachers for Tomorrow, where I get to shadow a kindergarten teacher. Working with her and the students has increased my interest in children with special needs.

From here on out, I want to support my students in academics and other parts of their lives so I can help them learn, grow, and succeed. I know that children need a strong start to their school career because the first few years of school are crucial; this is when students begin to love or hate learning itself. Whether or not children enjoy school, they deserve to appreciate learning. Students who love learning will always want to improve themselves.

I will make an effort to provide a loving environment where each child can prosper. However, for students with special needs, this task becomes even harder to accomplish because traditional classrooms are usually set up for non-disabled students.  While I know I can’t “save” every student I teach, and some of them will still hate learning, at least I can start them off right.

When I’m swamped with schoolwork, I will imagine my future students and how I could influence their lives. Even though not all of my college classes will relate to my major, forming a habit of working hard in college will help me to succeed as a future teacher.

6. Teachers Are Excellent Role Models

The experience of being helped and transformed by a good teacher leaves a lasting impression. Teaching is considered a noble profession for good reasons.

Some education students are motivated to become a teacher to emulate their own role models. They want to provide the same kind of service they once received. An added reason for pursuing a teaching career is to be a role model to younger people outside the classroom, including one’s own children.

by Teresa Pillifant

My first day – well, more like first semester- of my freshman year in high school was the hardest semester of my whole school career. Usually the kind of student who loves school, I found myself getting stomach aches in the morning and dreading school with my whole being. I was new to the school, and the number of students was overwhelming.

It seemed like there was no relief, except for my first hour Spanish class. Having no friends, I would always arrive at my first hour class early. As this pattern continued, my Spanish teacher and I developed a relationship. My teacher started giving me books to read, asking my opinion on what we should do in class and just talked to me in general about life. Through my teacher’s support, I grew to find my place in the school and became more confident.

Her kind words and actions inspired me to become a teacher myself.  Now, whenever school or life gets difficult, I think of my freshmen year Spanish teacher and how she inspired me. I want to do what she did for me for my future students. Whether it be a difficult test or a challenging class, my goal of making a difference in a student’s life keeps me going.

by Mo Cabiles

The world we live in is hard, unsteady and ruthless. We see this everyday in the harshness of homelessness, to social media screaming for justice. What motivates me to continue on is that I have felt the bitter cold bite of homelessness. I know what it’s like to not have enough to eat and to be scared of what will happen next.

I am fortunate to no longer be in those situations but that, by no means, is an indicator that it will all now come easy. As an adult learner and your “non-traditional” student, there are other obstacles I must overcome. From transportation to childcare or education application mastery to APA formatting, the many roadblocks I tackle both large and small are what I consider to be my victories.

I’ve seen what having a higher education can do for someone and I want that for myself and that of my daughters.  I strive to be a good example for them , to show them that, regardless of social standing and unforeseeable circumstances, if they work hard and put their best effort forward, they can achieve their dreams.

My dream is to obtain my Masters in Education with an emphasis in counseling. I want to be an academic advisor or guidance counselor. I’ve seen so many youths attempt community college and fail because they fell through the cracks. These students need to realize their potential and I want to help them achieve that and to be their cheerleader.

by Gia Sophia Sarris

In every school I’ve ever attended, experienced teachers were there to support and inspire me. I have looked up to these people ever since I was in elementary school, and they have had an immense and positive impact on my life and my view of the world.  My fondness for these people [educators] has led me to aspire to become a teacher.

I want to “pay it forward” and improve the lives of children and teenagers who grow up struggling as I did, or in any way for that matter. I want to make a difference in their lives and let them know that they are not alone with their problems.

This is what motivates me to study hard. Becoming a teacher, I believe, will help me fulfill my purpose in life, which I think is to create happiness and ease the burdens of others. I feel that children and teenagers need this especially, because they are struggling to understand the world and their place in it. I study hard for their sake.

by Jennifer Wolfert

From elementary school to my first year at college, I struggled to establish a dream for myself. Trying to figure out what career I wanted to pursue as successful adult always filled me with anxiety. I had spent multiple years in special education and left with a low academic self-esteem. So, after high school I attended Bucks County Community College in search for more time. Still I made no progress. Then I decided to change my outlook. I stopped asking “what do I want to do?” and started asking “who do I want to be?”. That’s when my dream took shape.

The educators that I met during my time at community college were my inspiration.  They are brilliant, hardworking people with a passion for their specialty that I had never seen before. Their belief in hard work was infectious. School began to fill me with excited anticipation and my grades improved. I started to believe that if I worked hard enough then I could be like them and inspire others like they had inspired me.

At the end of my second year attending community college, I accomplished a task that had previously racked me with fear. I applied to Temple University as a Secondary English Education major. I have now completed my second semester at Temple and earned my first 4.0 GPA. In time, I am confident that I will be able to accomplish my dream. I will become the passionate and inspiring educator that my younger self never had.

by Jenyfer Pegg

My entire life has been filled with discouragement. I grew up in a household where I was constantly told “No”. I was told my ideas were stupid and would not work. In my junior year of high school, my teachers and counselors started talking about college and sending in applications to different places. At that point, I knew I was not going. I came from a poor family and I knew we could never have money for something like college.

But I went on college visits, I listened to people speak about their college, and I was set. I had a lot of things pushing me, except the one thing I really wanted, my family. No one in my family has gone to college, and when I told my mother, she was shocked. She told me she just wanted me out of the house.

When I came to school, I realized I wanted to teach high school. I want to make an actual difference in someone else’s life. My family has taken the same road for years, and I’m not going down that road. I won’t live paycheck to paycheck like my mom, I will be a person that others will look up to.

I’m going to do something worthwhile, and I will work harder than anyone else if it gets me there.  I’ve seen what my life will be like without school and motivation and there is absolutely no way I’m going down that road. I’ve got bigger plans.

7. Unlock the Success Potential of Students

Educators want to help students in every way they can but, for some future teachers, the focus is on helping students soar. That child in front of you in the classroom might grow up to do great things for society, raise a strong family, or just be happy and fulfilled.

Whatever the potential of a pupil, a teacher’s job is to help unlock talents and remove any barriers to future success.

by Tamara Vega

The thing that motivates me the most is the thought of having my own classroom someday. I want to be the teacher that changes a child’s life, inspires them to set high goals for themselves and encourages them to reach it.

College can be so hard at times and I get really anxious and scared. I worry about not passing my classes and exams, I worry about not getting my degree. Despite that I do not give up because I have to do this and I want to do this.

I cannot see myself doing anything else besides teaching, I have never been this passionate about something. I want to graduate and get my degree. I’d love to look at it and say, “I worked hard for this and I earned it”.

The idea that the students in my classroom could grow up to cure cancer, or become president, pretty much anything they want, brings me so much excitement.   I want to be the teacher that they remember, the one who helped them realize their dream and who gave them the knowledge needed to reach it.

Be the teacher that I needed as a child but unfortunately never had. That is what gets me through all the stress and anxiety, I know in my heart that all the studying I’m doing right now will be worth it in the end.

by Nicole Gongora

The dream of success motivates me to study – not my success, my future students’ success. I push myself through the rough spots for them.

I was a lost child in high school; I didn’t know how to apply to college, let alone afford it. No child should have to experience that. As a future educator, I am committed to helping my students succeed, achieve more, and continue onto higher education.  Every child should be given the opportunity to showcase their strengths and follow their dreams.

College was never a dream for me; it was a far off, unattainable fantasy. I met some inspiring teachers in high school who encouraged me to change my life and who helped me to thrive. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I plan to work at a low-income school similar to the one I attended. These types of schools are the ones who lack resources. I will serve as a resource to my students and I hope to be an inspiration to them. In turn, I hope they become kind, respectful adults. I want them to see the virtue in helping others and I hope they will serve others in their future careers. I want to be the teacher they remember. I want to be the teacher that helped them succeed.

I’ll feel successful as a teacher if my students are successful in attaining their goals. If one student decides to achieve more then I will have lived out my dream.

by Madison Sherrill

I’ve decided to become a teacher because I want to show the value of compassion and diversity.

As I begin college this upcoming fall, my main motivation is the students. While I haven’t even met them yet, they inspire me to persist in my classes and stay optimistic.  My classroom will support innovative thinking and celebrate each student’s individuality.

As a classroom teacher, I want to encourage and positively influence the next generation. They should know that they can be successful and achieve what they aspire to become while making the world better. By teaching the value of inclusiveness and the power of kindness, my students may turn out to be visionary thinkers and leading members of society.

by Alicia Costin

I am returning to school after taking a few years off. After graduating from California Lutheran University with my BS in Mathematics, I wanted to land a job with benefits and begin my “adult life”.

While it took me a few months to find my current job, is it just that; a job. I have benefits, a full-time schedule, weekends and holidays off, but am I happy? Is this what I want to do as a career for the rest of my life? I have asked myself this question a few times and the answer is always the same; no.

My dream is to become a teacher and help motivate and encourage students to do their best in their studies and in life.  It is my dream to do what I was meant to do; shape young minds and help future generations.

When things become difficult during my graduate program, I know to keep pushing, thriving, and studying hard so that, when I do become a teacher, I can use this as a positive story to shape their way of life. I landed a job outside of college, however now it is time for me to land my career.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Teacher — How My Teacher Influenced Me

How My Teacher Influenced Me

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Improving Students' Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning

• Parenting, Families, Relationships
• Schools and Classrooms

Sara Rimm-Kaufman, PhD, and Lia Sandilos, PhD, University of Virginia

Improving students' relationships with teachers has important, positive and long-lasting implications for both students' academic and social development. Solely improving students' relationships with their teachers will not produce gains in achievement. However, those students who have close, positive and supportive relationships with their teachers will attain higher levels of achievement than those students with more conflict in their relationships.

Picture a student who feels a strong personal connection to her teacher, talks with her teacher frequently, and receives more constructive guidance and praise rather than just criticism from her teacher. The student is likely to trust her teacher more, show more engagement in learning, behave better in class and achieve at higher levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and promote their desire to learn (assuming that the content material of the class is engaging, age-appropriate and well matched to the student's skills).

High quality academic instruction

High quality academic instruction is designed to be appropriate to students' educational levels. It also creates opportunity for thinking and analysis, uses feedback effectively to guide students' thinking, and extends students' prior knowledge.

Teachers who foster positive relationships with their students create classroom environments more conducive to learning and meet students' developmental, emotional and academic needs. Here are some concrete examples of closeness between a teacher and a student:

• A high school student chooses to share the news that he recently got a part in a community play with his teacher because he knows that his teacher will show genuine interest in his success.
• A fourth grade boy who is struggling in math shows comfort in admitting to his teacher that he needs help with multiplying and dividing fractions even if most of the students in the class have moved beyond this work.
• A middle school girl experiences bullying from other students and approaches her social studies teacher to discuss it because she trusts that the teacher will listen and help without making her feel socially inept.

Positive teacher-student relationships contribute to school adjustment and academic and social performance

Positive teacher-student relationships — evidenced by teachers' reports of low conflict, a high degree of closeness and support, and little dependency — have been shown to support students' adjustment to school, contribute to their social skills, promote academic performance and foster students' resiliency in academic performance (Battistich, Schaps, & Wilson, 2004; Birch & Ladd, 1997; Curby, Rimm-Kaufman, & Ponitz, 2009; Ewing & Taylor, 2009; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Rudasill, Reio, Stipanovic, & Taylor, 2010).

Teachers who experience close relationships with students reported that their students were less likely to avoid school, appeared more self-directed, more cooperative and more engaged in learning (Birch & Ladd, 1997; Decker, Dona, & Christenson, 2007; Klem & Connell, 2004). Teachers who use more learner-centered practices (i.e., practices that show sensitivity to individual differences among students, include students in the decision-making, and acknowledge students' developmental, personal and relational needs) produced greater motivation in their students than those who used fewer of such practices (Daniels & Perry, 2003).

Students who attended math classrooms with higher emotional support reported increased engagement in mathematics learning. For instance, fifth graders said they were willing to exert more effort to understand the math lesson. They enjoyed thinking about and solving problems in math and were more willing to help peers learn new concepts (Rimm-Kaufman, Baroody, Larsen, Curby, & Abry, 2014). Among kindergarteners, students reported liking school more and experiencing less loneliness if they had a close relationship with their teachers. Further, kindergarteners with better teacher-student relationships showed better performance on measures of early academic skills (Birch & Ladd, 1997).

The quality of early teacher-student relationships has a long-lasting impact. Specifically, students who had more conflict with their teachers or showed more dependency toward their teachers in kindergarten also had lower academic achievement (as reflected in mathematics and language arts grades) and more behavioral problems (e.g., poorer work habits, more discipline problems) through the eighth grade. These findings were greater for boys than for girls (Hamre & Pianta, 2001). Further work indicates that kindergarten children with more closeness and less conflict with teachers developed better social skills as they approached the middle school years than kindergarten children with more conflictual relationships experiences in the past (Berry & O'Connor, 2009). A recent study examining student-teacher relationships throughout elementary school (first through fifth grade) found that teacher-student closeness linked to gains in reading achievement, while teacher-student conflict related to lower levels of reading achievement (McCormick & O'Connor, 2014).

This video clip shows a third grade teacher facilitating positive communication among peers by conducting a “Thoughtful Thursday” activity in which students discuss thoughtful actions or words they have experienced from classmates throughout the week. The student talks about the “safeties” (student safety-patrol members) outside the school and how they welcomed him to the school.

In this video clip, a preschool teacher is facilitating positive peer interactions by communicating with students in a warm, calm voice and making encouraging statements, such as "Very good teamwork!'

How to develop positive relationships with your students:

• Show your pleasure and enjoyment of students.
• Interact with students in a responsive and respectful manner.
• Offer students help (e.g., answering questions in timely manner, offering support that matches students' needs) in achieving academic and social objectives.
• Help students reflect on their thinking and learning skills.
• Know and demonstrate knowledge about individual students' backgrounds, interests, emotional strengths and academic levels.
• Avoid showing irritability or aggravation toward students.
• Acknowledge the importance of peers in schools by encouraging students to be caring and respectful to one another.

Teachers who have negative relationships with a student show evidence of frustration, irritability and anger toward that student. Teachers might display their negativity through snide and sarcastic comments toward the student or describe the feeling that they are always struggling or in conflict with a particular student. Often, teachers will describe a specific student as "one who exhausts them" or "a student who leaves them feeling drained and burned out."

Negative teacher-student relationships can amplify when teachers show irritability and anger toward several or many of the students in the classroom. In these types of classrooms, teachers may find themselves resorting to yelling and harsh punitive control. Teacher-student communications may appear sarcastic or disrespectful. Student victimization or bullying may be common occurrences in such negative classrooms (Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2006).

Negative teacher-student relationships are stressful for both teachers and students (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Lisonbee, Mize, Payne, & Granger, 2008) and can be detrimental to students' academic and social-emotional development (McCormick & O'Connor, 2014; O'Connor, Collins, & Supplee, 2012).

• Make an effort to get to know and connect with each student in your classroom. Always call them by their names, find out information about their interests and strive to understand what they need to succeed in school (Croninger & Lee, 2001; Whitlock, 2006). 
• Make an effort to spend time individually with each student, especially those who are difficult or shy. This will help you create a more positive relationship with them (Pianta, 1999; Rudasill, Rimm-Kaufman, Justice, & Pence, 2006; Spangler Avant, Gazelle, & Faldowski, 2011). 
• Be aware of the explicit and implicit messages you are giving to your students (Pianta, et al., 2001; Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2002; Hemmeter & Conroy, 2012). Be careful to show your students that you want them to do well in school through both actions and words. 
• Create a positive climate in your classroom by focusing not only on improving your relationships with your students, but also on enhancing the relationships among your students (Charney, 2002; Donahue, Perry & Weinstein, 2003; Wentzel, 2010).

Be aware that you are modeling behavior for your students, whether intentional or not.

• Students notice your interaction style. They notice whether you show warmth and respect toward them, to other students and to adults at your school. Often, they will model their own behavior after your behavior.
• Students notice the methods you use to manage strong emotions. They notice positive strategies, such as taking a deep breath or talking about your frustrations. Likewise, they notice negative strategies, too, such as yelling at students or making mean or disrespectful jokes about colleagues (Jones, Bouffard, & Weissbourd, 2013). Be aware that students will often adopt the strategies that you use.
• Don't assume that being kind and respectful to students is enough to bolster achievement. Ideal classrooms have more than a single goal : teachers hold students to appropriately high standards of academic performance and offer students an opportunity for an emotional connection to their teachers, their fellow students and the school (e.g., Gregory & Weinstein, 2004; Wentzel, 2010). 
• Don't give up too quickly on your efforts to develop positive relationships with difficult students . These students will benefit from a good teacher-student relationship as much or more than their easier-to-get-along-with peers (Baker, 2006; Birch & Ladd, 1998; Hartz & Williford, in press).
• Don't assume that respectful and sensitive interactions are only important to elementary school students. Middle and high school students benefit from such relationships as well (Allen et al., 2013; Meece, Herman, & McCombs, 2003; Reyes, Brackett, Rivers, White, & Salovey, 2012). 
• Don't assume that relationships are inconsequential. Some research suggests that preschool children who have a lot of conflict with their teachers show increases in stress hormones when they interact with these teachers (Lisonbee et al., 2008).
• Don't wait for negative behaviors and interactions to occur in the classroom. Instead, take a proactive stance on promoting a positive social experience by including students in discussions about prosocial interactions and consistently modeling those positive interactions for them (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009).

Know your students

Knowing a student's interests can help you create examples to match those interests.

• If a student who loves basketball comes to you with a question about a math problem, you might respond to her with a problem involving basketball.
• If a student who speaks Spanish at home comes to you with a question about English vocabulary, you might answer his question and then ask him what the word is in Spanish and how he'd use it in a sentence. This type of specific responding shows that you care about your students as people and that you are aware of their unique strengths (i.e., fluency in another language).

Knowing a student's temperament can help you construct appropriate learning opportunities.

• If a girl in your class is particularly distractible, you can support her efforts to concentrate by offering her a quieter area in which to work.
• If a boy in your classroom is very shy, appears engaged but never raises his hand to ask questions, you can assess his level of understanding of a concept in a one-on-one conversation at the end of class.

Give students meaningful feedback

Notice the way that you give feedback to your students. If possible, watch a video of your own teaching.

• Are you giving students meaningful feedback that says you care about them and their learning, or are you constantly telling your students to hurry?
• In your conversations, are you focusing on what your students have accomplished or are you concentrating your comments on what they have not yet mastered?
• Does your body language, facial expression and tone of voice show your students that you are interested in them as people too?
• Are you telling them to do one thing, yet you model quite different behavior? For example, are you telling your students to listen to each other, but then look bored when one of them talks to the class? Be sure that the feedback you give to your students conveys the message that you are supporting their learning and that you care about them. 
• Are you paying more attention to some students than to others?

In this clip, a third grade teacher is monitoring and assisting her students during an independent reading activity. She kneels down next to one of her students and asks him questions to determine if he comprehends the story. The teacher positions herself in close proximity to the student and speaks to him with a calm and respectful tone of voice, which conveys the message that she is here to support him.

Be respectful and sensitive to adolescents

Supportive teacher-student relationships are just as important to middle and high school students as they are to elementary students. Positive relationships encourage students' motivation and engagement in learning. Older students need to feel that their teachers respect their opinions and interests just as much as younger students do. Even in situations where adolescents do not appear to care about what teachers do or say, teacher actions and words do matter and may even have long term positive (or negative) consequences.

Develop positive discourse with students with challenging behavior

Think about what you say to the difficult students in your classroom. Are you constantly bombarding your more challenging students with requests to do something? Do you find yourself constantly asking students to stop doing what they are doing? No one likes being badgered and pestered, and your students are no exception.

• Try to find a time or place when you can have positive discussion with the problem student.
• Notice and mention the positive behaviors they exhibit.
• Remind yourself that even if a challenging student appears unresponsive to your requests, she is hearing the messages that you are giving her. Her responses may not change her immediate behavior but may matter in the long term.

Make extra effort to develop and sustain relationships with difficult students

Difficult students require more energy on your part. For example, you may need to spend time with them individually to get to know them better — to understand their interests as well as what motivates them. This will not only allow you to tailor your instruction to their interests and motivation, but the time spent will also allow them to develop trust in you. Recent research on high school students who have frequent and intense discipline problems shows that when adolescents perceive their teachers are trustworthy people, they show less defiant behavior (Gregory & Ripski, 2008). Persistent teacher-student conflict throughout the elementary years increases the likelihood that children will exhibit negative externalizing behaviors (O'Connor et al., 2012), so it is important for teachers to build close relationships at an early age with children at-risk for behavioral issues.

This video clip highlights a teacher talking about how developing positive relationships is particularly important with behaviorally difficult children.

Forming positive relationships with behaviorally difficult students

These video clips show two teachers talking about the ways positive relationships with their students helps to reach and motivate them.

Three theoretical perspectives — attachment theory, social cognitive theory and self-system theory — help to explain why students behave in certain ways in your classroom and how you can use your relationships with them to enhance their learning.

Attachment theory

Attachment theory explains how students use their positive relationships with adults to organize their experiences (Bowlby 1969). Central to this theory is that students with close relationships with their teachers view their teacher as a "secure base" from which to explore the classroom environment. In practice, students with this "secure base" feel safe when making mistakes and feel more comfortable accepting the academic challenges necessary for learning. Strong teacher-student relationships can even act as a buffer against the potentially adverse effects that insecure parent-child attachment can have on students' academic achievement (O'Connor & McCartney, 2007).

Social cognitive theory

Social cognitive theory posits that students develop a wide range of skills simply by watching other people perform those skills. Thus, modeling behavior can be a positive and effective modality for teaching (Bandura, 1986). Applied to the classroom environment, teachers play a critical role as live models from which students can learn social behaviors and positive communication skills. Social cognitive theory also sheds light on the importance of feedback and encouragement from teachers in relation to student performance. Teachers serve as role models and help regulate student behavior through interactions and relationships.

This video clip shows a 16-year-old boy describing one way his teacher is modeling behavior. Given the relationship he describes, it is easy to see the influence that this teacher has on the student.

Self-System theory

Self-System theory emphasizes the importance of students' motivation and by doing so, explains the importance of teacher-student relationships (Harter, 2012; McCombs, 1986). Students come to the classroom with three basic psychological needs — competence , autonomy and relatedness — all of which can be met in a classroom through students' interactions with teachers and with the learning environment (Deci & Ryan, 2002).

Classroom practices that foster the feelings of competence, autonomy and relatedness are likely to produce the engagement and motivation required for academic learning and success.

Competence refers to a student's need to feel capable of academic work.

Autonomy suggests a feeling that he or she has some choice and ability to make decisions.

Relatedness implies that a student feels socially connected to teachers or peers.

Positive teacher-student relationships help students meet these needs. Teachers offer feedback to students to support their feelings of competence. Teachers who know their students' interests and preferences, and show regard and respect for these individual differences, bolster students' feelings of autonomy. Teachers who establish a personal and caring relationship and foster positive social interactions within their classrooms meet their students' needs for relatedness (or social connection to school). Taken together, effective teacher-student relationships confirm to students that teachers care for them and support their academic efforts.

These video clips shows competence and autonomy from an 8-year-old child.

The students in my school have severe emotional and behavioral problems and my school has few economic resources — can good relationships really help?

Teacher-student relationships contribute to students' resiliency. Often, we assume that hard-to-change factors such as class size, teacher experience or availability of instructional supplies are crucial for predicting student achievement. In fact, these factors are not as important as having positive relationships.

In one study of almost 4,000 students (who were ethnic minority groups and from poor families), the presence of positive relationships with teachers and the experience of a positive and orderly school environment in elementary and middle school were strong predictors of gains in math outcomes — much stronger than class size, teacher experience, or availability of instructional supplies (Borman & Overman, 2004).

In another study, urban high school students with behavior and emotional problems were assigned to an intervention involving weekly interactions with teachers, monthly calls to the students at home and increased praise from adults. Those students involved in the intervention showed higher grade point averages over the five-month intervention period compared to their peers who were not receiving the intervention (Murray & Malmgren, 2005). Studies like this point to an important message — across ages and in all content areas, students will be more engaged and motivated if teachers meet students' essential need for social connection.

Can positive teacher-student relationships help to reduce the prevalence of bullying behavior in students?

The behaviors and emotions that young children display when interacting with peers play a critical role in their involvement with bullying throughout the school years. Teachers have the ability to reduce bullying behaviors that occur in the classroom by establishing a positive climate in which pro-social actions are both encouraged and rewarded (Hanish, Kochenderfer-Ladd, Fabes, Martin, & Denning, 2004). Through teacher-student relationship, teachers can assist students in understanding how to better understand and regulate emotions they are feeling. Teachers can also involve students in discussing alternative strategies to deal with social conflict and in establishing prosocial rules for the classroom (Allen, 2010; Fraser et al., 2005).

How does the importance of the teacher-student relationship compare to other important relationships, such as parent-student relationships, in students' lives?

From early childhood through adolescence, positive teacher-student relationships appear to complement the other important relationships in students' lives.

• For young students , increased parental engagement (i.e., warmth and sensitivity, support for autonomy, involvement in learning) is associated with greater social bonds with other caregiving adults, including teachers (Sheridan, Knoche, Edwards, Bovaird, & Kupzyk, 2010).
• In middle school students, the perception of their teacher (whether they felt that their teacher was supportive toward them or not) predicted students' interest in learning and their engagement in the classroom. At this level, parental support plays a complementary role by predicting youths' motivation in school (Wentzel, 1997).
• In high school, parent and teacher supportiveness (combined with parent and teacher monitoring and high expectations) contribute to gains in mathematics achievement (Gregory & Weinstein, 2004). At this age, parent and teacher monitoring of behavior as well as high parent and teacher expectations play an important role in achievement.

This video clip is of a teacher talking about the complementary role that her relationship with the child and the family plays in managing a child's behavior in the classroom.

What are the factors contributing to positive teacher-student relationships?

Multiple factors determine teacher-student relationships: teacher characteristics and student characteristics each play an important role in predicting the quality of interactions that teachers have with individual students. Although less well-studied, other factors (school social climate, school policies, etc.) also contribute to the quality of these relationships.

Will more positive teacher-student relationships improve the peer relationships in my classroom?

Yes, positive teacher-student relationships can promote improved peer relationships in your classrooms through direct and indirect approaches. Teachers can directly promote positive social behaviors by orchestrating the relationships within a classroom in a positive manner (Battistich et al., 2004). Teachers can use positive teacher-student relationships indirectly to promote peer relationships as well. Students tend to be more accepting of peers who show engagement in the tasks of school (e.g., show attention, participate in classroom activities), and positive teacher-student relationships enhance students' engagement. Positive teacher-student relationships improve student-to-student acceptance in both current and future years (Hughes & Kwok, 2007).

Are positive teacher-student relationships easier to form in some situations than others?

Some situations (such as in elementary school, where each teacher is assigned only twenty or so students) provide more opportunities for the development of close teacher-student relationships. Other situations (such as the middle school or high school levels, where teachers routinely provide instruction to four or five groups of twenty-five or more students) make it more difficult to form positive teacher-student relationships with all students (Feldlaufer, Midgley, & Eccles, 1988; Meece et al., 2003), and thus, it takes more effort.

It is also easier to focus attention on positive teacher-student relationships in schools where the administrators believe that trust and positive relationships are important for improving students' performance (Bryk, Sebring, Allensworth, Luppescu, & Easton, 2010 ). A distinguishing characteristic of schools with high performing students is the presence of an adult school community that works together in a coordinated manner to create a social environment that supports teachers' efforts to establish good relationships with students (Allensworth & Easton, 2007).

If teacher-student relationships reflect both characteristics of the teachers and characteristics of the student, how stable are these relationships over time?

The quality of teacher-student relationships is surprisingly stable over time. In other words, if a kindergarten teacher has a conflictual relationship with a student; it is likely that the child's first and second grade teachers will also experience conflict in their relationship with that same child. This stability is more evident when the relationships are conflictual rather than when the relationships are close or dependent (Howes, Phillepsen & Peisner-Feinberg, 2000; Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004). Most likely, the stability stems from the "internal working model" that students create in their mind about how relationships with adults typically ought to work.

Here is a video clip of a 16-year-old boy talking about a high school teacher. The teen talks about a teaching method that complements his learning style and motivates him to ask questions. The teacher allows students to question his thinking, a type of questioning that fosters learning, as the student describes. The quality of this give-and-take between the teacher and students provides one example of a teacher-student interaction that appeals to adolescents and enhances the teacher-student relationship.

Are there any unintended consequences associated with creating positive teacher-student relationships?

Ideally, classroom environments need to be nurturing while at the same time holding students to high academic standards (Curby, LoCasale-Crouch, et al., 2009; Stuhlman & Pianta, 2009). Classrooms that focus on nurturance without offering opportunities for academic learning do not produce increases in students' achievement (Allensworth & Easton, 2007; Lee & Smith, 1999).

Do positive teacher-student relationships work for all school subjects?

Positive teacher-student relationships play an equally important role in students' success across all subjects (McCombs & Miller, 2006). Students' social and emotional needs are present throughout the day and the year, regardless of the subject area.

Can positive teacher-student relationships support students' self-control?

In the past decade, there has been increased interest in methods to support students' development of self-control. Executive functioning is one component of self-control that refers to students' working memory, ability to direct attention, and the ability to control their responses in different situations. Through their relationships and interactions with students, teachers can help to develop and improve students' executive functioning skills and the behaviors that emerge because of those skills. For example, a higher degree of emotional support provided by the classroom teacher is associated with a reduction in students' off-task behavior (Rimm-Kaufman, Curby, Grimm, Nathanson, & Brock, 2009). Additionally, students with low effortful control perform similarly to children with high effortful control (i.e., the ability to substitute an automatic or immediate response for a more appropriate one, such as raising one's hand instead of calling out) on tests of reading and mathematics if they experience positive relationships with their teachers (Liew, Chen, & Hughes, 2010). Teacher-student relationships help students develop executive functioning skills regardless of whether they are low or high in these skills in the beginning of the school year. (See Willingham, 2011, for more useful information.)

This video clip provides an example of how a teacher's supportive interactions with an eight year old boy helps him get back on track and show more self-control in his behaviors.

How do you evaluate teacher-student relationships?

Several common and readily available instruments have been developed to assess teacher-student relationships. Although used primarily for research, these instruments can also serve as diagnostic tools to identify strengths and weakness in your own teaching. Some of these instruments rely on teacher reports of relationships, others are observationally-based measures of teacher-student interactions in the classroom, and yet others rely on students' reports of their relationships with teachers. One particularly innovative technique to use with young children relies on children's drawings of their teachers.

There are less formal ways to assess your relationships with students:

• Invite a school psychologist into your classroom to observe your interactions, take notes and reflect with you about the child with whom you have a challenging relationship.
• Set up a video camera and analyze your own interactions with the student who is causing you difficulty.
• Give your students anonymous questionnaires (on paper or on-line) or ask small groups of students about how they feel while they are in your classroom.

Through this process, it is important to realize that even the best teachers have difficulties with a few students from time to time. The reasons for these difficulties are numerous and getting help from a collaborating teacher, the school psychologist, or a supportive administrator may offer you an outside view of what is occurring and help you improve your relationships with the challenging students in your classroom.

Are positive teacher-student relationships a "magic bullet"?

No, positive teacher-student relationships are only one part of a teachers' repertoire of classroom management and discipline strategies. High quality relationships complement high quality classroom management. Furthermore, it is not possible to develop positive relationships with every student. As a teacher, you can strive toward accomplishing that goal but realize that having an ideal relationship with each student may be unobtainable.

How are positive teacher-student relationships linked to classroom climate?

Improving teacher-student relationships constitutes only a first step toward creating a classroom community that is conducive to student's social and academic development.

• Boys typically have more conflict and less closeness in their relationships with teachers than girls (Baker, 2006; Howes et al., 2000; Hughes, Cavell, & Wilson, 2001). 
• High levels of teacher-student conflict may affect girls and boys differently. For example, teacher-student conflict appears to affect math achievement more negatively for girls than for boys (McCormick & O'Connor, 2014).
• Students with more internalizing problems (e.g., depression, anxiety) show greater dependency on their teachers than their average counterparts (Henricsson & Rydell, 2004), whereas students with more externalizing problems (e.g., aggression, problem behaviors) show more conflict with teachers (Murray & Murray, 2004; O'Connor et al., 2012). 
• Students who exhibit more problem behaviors at home and school tend to develop more conflictual and less close relationships with their teachers (Birch & Ladd, 1998; Murray & Murray, 2004; O'Connor et al., 2012).
• Students with emotional disturbances or mild intellectual disability have more negative relationships with teachers than students without these problems (Murray & Greenberg, 2001). 
• Bold preschool students with poorly developed language skills are perceived by their teachers as having more conflictual relationships. Shy preschool students with better language skills are perceived by their teachers as more dependent upon them (Rudasill et al., 2006). 
• For students at risk for problematic teacher-student relationships, teachers needed to make extra efforts to offer the social and emotional support likely to help them meet the challenges they face in school.

Teachers vary in their ability to create positive teacher-student relationships. Some teachers simply have an easier time developing positive relationships with students — personality, feelings toward students, their own relationship histories may all play a role. A few personal characteristics of teachers have been identified as important predictors of positive teacher-student relationships in elementary schools. Research has found that preschool and kindergarten teachers are more likely to develop close relationships with students who share their same ethnic background. In contrast, it was found that Caucasian pre-service teachers working in their 10-week field placement sites perceived African-American and Hispanic students as more dependent than these same teachers perceived White students. Asian-American and Hispanic pre-service teachers perceived African-American students as more dependent upon them as compared to Asian-American or Hispanic students (Kesner, 2000).

Pre-service teachers who recall their own upbringing as caring and nurturing were also more likely to experience closeness with the students in their field placement classrooms (Kesner, 2000). Teachers' beliefs and the types of practices that teachers prefer also appear to be important. Kindergarten teachers who use more age-appropriate, student-centered teaching practices reported less conflictual relationships with their kindergarten students than those who use more didactic, teacher-centered strategies (Manticopoulous, 2005). Much less is known about the teacher characteristics that contribute to positive teacher-student relationships at the middle and high school level.

Student-teacher relationship scale (STRS; Pianta, 2001) is a teacher-report instrument designed for elementary school teachers. This instrument measures a teacher's perception of conflict, closeness and dependency with a specific child. Another instrument designed for teachers of middle and high school is the teacher-student relationship inventory (TSRI, Ang, 2005). It measures teachers' satisfaction with their students, the help they perceive they are offering to their students and their level of conflict with their students.

Classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS; Pianta, La Paro & Hamre, 2006) examines the presence of supportive relationships in the classroom. This system measures teachers' sensitivity as well as positive and negative climate in the classroom. Different forms of this instrument are available for preschool through twelfth grade.

Assessment of learner-centered practices (ALCP) is a set of validated survey instruments designed for teachers and students. These surveys, each designed for a different age group (grades K-3, 4-8 and 9-12), provide teachers with tools for self-assessment and reflection (McCombs, 2004). The emphasis of this work has been to identify discrepancies between teacher and student perceptions in order to assist teachers as they reflect upon and change their practices (McCombs & Miller, 2006). The ALCP process focuses on student learning and motivational outcomes, as well as the classroom practices that contribute most to maximizing these outcomes.  

Feelings about school (Valeski & Stipek, 2001) examines young children's perceptions of their relationships with teachers and their overall feelings toward school. Young children's attitudes about school can also be assessed by having a child draw a picture of him/herself and his/her teacher at school and analyzing the picture for signs of negativity (Harrison, Clarke, & Ungerer, 2007). 

Loneliness and social dissatisfaction questionnaire for young children (Cassidy & Asher, 1992) evaluates students' feelings of loneliness and discontentment with peer relationships in elementary school.

Teacher treatment inventory (Weinstein & Marshall, 1984) is a self-report measure that can be used with middle and high school students to rate their perception of the frequency of specific teacher behaviors. This measure can be used along with an adapted measure of perceived social connection.

How do teacher-student relationships relate to classroom climate?

When first grade teachers use practices that demonstrate caring toward students and practices that foster interpersonal skills among students, students are less likely to reject one another (Donahue et al, 2003). In addition, aggressive students who have positive relationships with teachers are more likely to be accepted by peers than aggressive students who lack positive relationships with their teachers (Hughes et al., 2001). Ultimately, constructive teacher-student relationships have an important positive influence on the social skills of difficult as well as typical students (Zins, Elias, Greenberg, & Weissberg, 2000). Such findings suggest that enhancing individual teacher-student relationships has beneficial and cumulative effects for other aspects of classroom life.

Improving teacher-student relationships is only the first step toward meeting students' emotional and relational needs. A teacher should also work on producing a caring community of learners. Such efforts improve the nature of interactions among students and promote students' engagement in school (Hamre & Pianta, 2005; McCombs, 2004; Meece et al., 2003; Weinberger & McCombs, 2003).

Interventions

Studies have examined the effectiveness of interventions designed to create more caring school and classroom communities; each has resulted in specific recommendations for improving teacher-student relationships as well as peer-relationships. 

The Child Development Project (CDP)  focuses on fostering caring peer relationships, including students in decision-making during classroom meetings, and teaching students to better understand the feelings, needs and perspectives of others. The goal of CDP is to promote positive development among students and build upon their strengths. Students exposed to this intervention feel more positive about school and are more motivated (e.g., showed more task orientation and greater intrinsic motivation) than their counterparts not receiving this intervention in elementary school (Solomon, Battistich, Watson, Schaps, & Lewis, 2000). Likewise, CDP appears to have some long-lasting effects; students enrolled in the CDP elementary schools were less antisocial and more prosocial in middle school as well (Battistich et al., 2004). Further, in a district that pressed for high achievement, CDP was linked to positive effects on achievement outcomes as well as gains in socio-emotional skills. 

The responsive classroom (RC) approach is a classroom-based intervention designed to integrate social and academic learning. When RC was examined to determine whether there were links between the use of its approach and the quality of teacher-student relationships, it was found that teachers using more RC practices had closer relationships with students in their classrooms (Baroody, Rimm-Kaufman, Larsen & Curby, 2014; Rimm-Kaufman & Chiu, 2007).

The RULER approach is another school-based social-emotional intervention that is designed to teach students critical skills related to emotions (labeling, expressing, regulating, etc.). This intervention was developed to align with the language arts curriculum in grades K-12. Investigations of RULER'S effectiveness have revealed that students whose teachers utilize more RULER approaches in the classroom demonstrated improved social skills and emotional intelligence (Reyes, Brackett, Rivers, Elbertson, & Salovey, 2012).

Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) is an additional intervention intended to strengthen the social-emotional learning skills of students in pre-K through grade 6. Primary goals of the intervention include building problem-solving skills, developing conflict-resolution strategies, forming positive relationships, and increasing self-control and self-awareness. Teachers who implemented the PATHS curriculum in the early elementary grades reported increases in prosocial interactions and higher levels of academic engagement in their classrooms (Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 2010).

What developmental differences are associated with teacher-student relationships?

Teacher-student relationships are as important to adolescents as they are to younger students. Feeling a connection and sense of relatedness to a teacher represents an essential need of all children and teens (Gregory & Ripski, 2008). However, it is worth noting that the nature of positive teacher-student relationships changes depending on the age of the student involved. In other words, the precise behaviors that might be perceived by a kindergarten child as nurturing and caring (e.g., a doting smile, a one-armed hug), in contrast, might be perceived by adolescents as over-involved and cloying. It is also important to realize that in the early years of school, students' perception of their relationship with teachers and teachers' perception of those same relationships are quite similar. As children grow and develop, the gap between their perceptions of teachers and teachers' perception of them grows and widens (McCombs & Miller, 2006).

Students experience stressors as they grow and develop. Positive, healthy relationships can help students with the developmental transitions they experience.

Do good teacher-student relationships work better for some students than others?

Teacher-student relationships are important to virtually all students. However, high quality teacher-student relationships appear to be most significant for students who are at risk for school problems based on early behavioral and learning issues (Baker, 2006; Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2002). In one study, high quality teacher-student relationships appeared to be better predictors of classroom adjustment, social skills and reading performance for students showing initial externalizing problems (e.g., aggression, hyperactivity), internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, depression) and learning problems (e.g., attention problems) (Baker, 2006) than for students without these initial risk factors.

In another study, sensitive and supportive relationships proved to be more important in predicting increased self-reliant behavior and less off task, negative and aggressive behaviors in the kindergarten classroom for bold, outgoing children. (Comparable levels of sensitivity and support of the teacher played less of a role in children's classroom behavior for shy, hesitant children [Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2002). Teacher sensitivity and emotional supportiveness played a greater role in predicting children's academic achievement gains in first grade (after taking into consideration children's earlier achievement) for children "at risk" for school failure than for those without these risk factors (Hamre & Pianta, 2005).

Similarly, a recent study on children from rural families found that high emotional support provided by teachers was associated with increased behavioral self-control and lower levels of aggression in first grade students. This study also found that attending an emotionally-supportive classroom was equally important for students regardless of whether they were from families living with poverty or not and whether they were from families headed by a single parent or two parents (Merritt, Wanless, Rimm-Kaufman, Cameron, & Peugh, 2012).

In another study, poor teacher-student relationships correlated with a reading achievement gap between African-American and White students, all of whom initially demonstrated below average literacy skills. Specifically, when Hughes and Kwok (2007) studied a group of low achieving readers, they found that first grade children who had poorer relationships with their teachers were less engaged in school and had lower academic achievement in second grade. It is very important to note that Hughes and Kwok found that African-American children had poorer relationships with their teachers than children of other ethnic backgrounds (i.e., Caucasian, Hispanic). This suggests how important it is for teachers to develop the best possible relationship with all students, regardless of their ethnic background. Taken together, such findings suggest that high quality teacher-student relationships can partially compensate for disadvantages in other facets of students' social-emotional lives.

High quality teacher-student relationships are equally important for all students, regardless of ethnicity. Students are more likely to experience positive relationships with teachers who share their ethnicity. However, other factors besides ethnicity (e.g., the teachers' skills in creating good relationships, the child's tendency toward behavior problems) are probably more important than ethnicity in predicting the quality of teacher-student relationships.

Several themes emerge in relation to the study of teacher-student relationships among ethnic minority students.

• Virtually all peer-reviewed studies on teacher-student relationships included students who are ethnic minorities in their samples. Many include only ethnic minority students. Such studies have found that high quality teacher-student relationships are important for all children and youth (e.g., Murray & Malmgren, 2005; Decker, Dona, & Christenson, 2007). For example, close teacher-student relationships played an equally important and positive role in influencing the behavioral competence of both Hispanic and White non-Hispanic preschool children (Ewing & Taylor, 2009).
• One study shows young students are more likely to experience positive relationships with teachers who share their ethnicity (Saft & Pianta, 2001). Although this finding emerged, the magnitude of its effect is very small, suggesting that other factors besides ethnicity are more important in predicting the quality of teacher-student relationships.
• In one study, African American high school students' inclination to cooperate with and trust teachers depended on students' perceptions of whether their teacher cared about them and held high expectations for success (Gregory & Weinstein, 2008). As stated by one African American high school student," …when she talk to you with seriousness, she mean it, but then she also have a smile like 'I'm on your side.' I mean, 'I feel where you're coming from but I'm still your teacher' (Gregory & Weinstein, 2008, p. 470).
• In another study, researchers conducted interviews of eight academically-successful African American high school graduates from single-parent, low income families. The students reflected on factors that contributed to their achievement. All of the graduates reported that having a supportive and warm mentorship relationship with a teacher, coach, or school counselor contributed to their academic success. In some cases, the mentors were very persistent in their efforts to help the students succeed (Williams & Bryan, 2013).

Student Stressors

Positive teacher-student relationships can offset some of the normal stressors that students experience as they grow and develop. The transition to middle school can be a stressful time for children; middle school students often show declines in motivation, self-esteem and academic performance (Feldlaufer et al., 1988).

• Students who perceive greater support from their teachers experience less depression and have more growth in self-esteem between the sixth and eighth grades (Reddy, Rhodes, & Mulhall, 2003).
• Students who perceive their teachers as respectful, eager to support their autonomy, focused on setting realistic and individualized expectations for performance, and offering nurturing and constructive feedback are more motivated in school (Wentzel, 1997). More specifically, if a student believes "my teacher trusts me" or "my teacher calls on me to give the answer," he or she is more likely to be interested in class, more likely to conform to the positive social norms of the classroom, and more eager to master the academic material being taught (Wentzel, 1997).  

Teacher Stressors

Like other professionals in demanding roles, teachers may experience depleted energy and increased stress or "burnout." Physically and emotionally exhausted teachers struggle to sustain strong relationships with students (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Teachers are developing people and their psychological health is crucial to their success in the classroom, especially their ability to create high quality relationships with students (Rimm-Kaufman & Hamre, 2010). Teachers need to take time to care for themselves and receive support from others to improve their capacity to work with students.

During difficult times, an important source of support for teachers is the adult community within the school (Bryk et al., 2010). Increased collaboration and communication among teachers and other educational personnel can provide the social support needed to reduce feelings of stress and to renew teachers' energy. Teachers who feel positively about their own ability to cope with challenging situations and to form close relationships with others are more likely to provide higher quality environments that improve student outcomes (Brown, Jones, LaRusso, & Aber, 2010). There is a growing body of research showing how important it is for teachers to tend to their own psychological health and well-being.

In this closing video, teachers and students describe qualities that make a great teacher.

Several books designed for teachers may be useful in promoting teacher-student relationships. Most of these books address the needs of children in early and middle childhood:

Charney, R. (2002). Teaching children to care: Classroom management for ethical and academic growth, K-8. Greenfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.

Howes, C. & Ritchie, S. (2002). A matter of trust: Connecting teachers and learners in the early childhood classroom. New York: Teachers College Press.

Pianta, R. C. (1999). Enhancing relationships between children and teachers. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Several research briefs and blogs about teacher-student relationships and social emotional learning in pre-K, elementary and secondary grades:

• Useful blog for teachers by Dan Willingham .
• Teacher-student relationship research briefs
• Social and emotional learning research .
• Social and emotional learning to support student achievement .
• Reducing behavior problems in the elementary school classroom .
• Effective teaching practices and professional development opportunities .

Allen, K. P. (2010). Classroom management, bullying, and teacher practices. The Professional Educator , 34 (1), 1-15.

Allen, J., Gregory, A., Mikami, A., Lun, J., Hamre, B., & Pianta, R. (2013). Observations of effective teacher-student interactions in secondary classrooms: Predicting student achievement with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System — Secondary. School Psychology Review, 42 (1), 76-98.

Allensworth, E. M., & Easton, J. Q. (2007). What matters for staying on-track and graduation in Chicago public high schools. Consortium of Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago . Retrieved from https://ccsr.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/publications/07%20What%20Matters%20Final.pdf

Ang, R. P.  (2005).  Development and validation of the teacher-student relationship inventory using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The Journal of Experimental Education, 71(1), 55-74.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Baker, J. A.  (2006).  Contributions of teacher-child relationships to positive school adjustment during elementary school. Journal of School Psychology, 44 , 211-229.

Battistich, V., Schaps, E., & Wilson, N.  (2004).  Effects of an elementary school intervention on students' "connectedness" to school and social adjustment during middle school. The Journal of Primary Prevention , 24(3), 243-262.

Berry, D., & O'Connor, E.  (2009).  Behavioral risk, teacher-child relationships, and social skill development across middle childhood: A child-by-environment analysis of change. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 31 (1), 1-14.

Birch, S. H., & Ladd, G. W.  (1997).  The teacher-child relationship and early school adjustment. Journal of School Psychology, 55 (1), 61-79.

Birch, S. H., & Ladd, G. W.  (1998).  Children's interpersonal behaviors and the teacher-child relationship. Developmental Psychology, 34(5), 934-946.

Borman, G. & Overman, L. (2004). Academic resilience in mathematics among poor and minority students. Elementary School Journal, 104 (3), 177-195.

Bowlby, J.  (1969).  Attachment and loss: Volume 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books.

Brown, J. L., Jones, S., LaRusso, M. D., & Aber, J. L. (2010). Improving classroom quality: Teacher influences and experimental impacts of the 4Rs program. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102 (1), 153-167.

Bryk, A. S., Sebring, P. B., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., & Easton, J. Q. (2010). Organizing schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago . Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Cassidy, J. & Asher, S.R. (1992). Loneliness and peer relations in young children. Child Development, 63, 350-365.

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Croninger, R. G., & Lee, V. E.  (2001).  Social capital and dropping out of high school: Benefits to at-risk students of teachers' support and guidance.  Teacher College Record, 103(4), 548-581.

Curby, T. W., LoCasale-Crouch, J., Konold, T. R., Pianta, R. C., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Bryant, D., ...Barbarin, O. (2009). The relations of observed pre-k classroom quality profiles to children's achievement and social competence. Early Education and Development, 20(2), 1556-6935.

Curby, T. W., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Ponitz, C. C. (2009). Teacher-child interactions and children's achievement trajectories across kindergarten and first grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101 (4), 912-925.

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Gregory, A., & Ripski, M.  (2008).  Adolescent trust in teachers: Implications for behavior in the high school classroom.  School Psychology Review, 37 (3), 337-353.

Gregory, A., & Weinstein, R. S. (2008). The discipline gap and African Americans: Defiance and cooperation in the high school classroom. The Journal of School Psychology , 46 (4), 455-475.

Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C.  (2001).  Early teacher-child relationships and the trajectory of children's school outcomes through eighth grade. Child Development , 72, 625-638.

Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C.  (2005). Can instructional and emotional support in the first-grade classroom make a difference for children at risk of school failure? Child Development , 76(5), 949-967.

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Harrison, L. J., Clarke, L., & Ungerer, J. A. (2007). Children's drawings provide a new perspective on teacher-child relationship quality and school adjustment. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22 , 55-71.

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Henriccson, L., & Rydell, A. (2004).  Elementary school children with behavior problems: Teacher-child relations and self-perception. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 50(2), 111-138.

Howes, C., Phillipsen, L. C., & Peisner-Feinberg, E.  (2000). The consistency of perceived teacher-child relationships between preschool and kindergarten. Journal of School Psychology, 58 (2), 115-132.

Hughes, J. N., Cavell, T. A., & Wilson, V.  (2001). Further support for the developmental significance of the quality of the teacher-student relationship. Journal of School Psychology, 39 (4), 289-301.

Hughes, J., & Kwok, O.  (2007).  Influence of student-teacher and parent-teacher relationships on lower achieving readers' engagement and achievement in the primary grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(1), 39-51.

Jennings, P. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (2009). The prosocial classroom: Teacher social and emotional competence in relation to student and classroom outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 79 (1), 491-525

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Lisonbee, J., Mize, J., Payne, A. L., & Granger, D.  (2008).  Children's cortisol and the quality of teacher-child relationships in child care.  Child Development , 79(6), 1818-1832.

Manticopoulos, P. (2005).  Conflictual relationships between kindergarten children and their teachers: Associations with child and classroom context variables. Journal of School Psychology, 43 , 425-442.

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McCombs, B. L. (2004). The learner-centered psychological principles: A framework for balancing a focus on academic achievement with a focus on social and emotional learning needs. In E. Zins, R. P. Weissberg, M. C. Wang, & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), Building academic success on social emotional learning: What does the research say? (pp. 23-39). New York: Teachers College Press.

McCombs, B. L., & Miller, L.  (2006).  The journey to learner-centered practices: A series for teachers and administrators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

McCormick, M. P., & O'Connor, E. E. (2014). Teacher-child relationship quality and academic achievement in elementary school: Does gender matter? Journal of Educational Psychology . Advanced online publication.

Meece, J. L., Herman, P., & McCombs, B. L.  (2003).  Relations of learner-centered teaching practices to adolescents' achievement goals. International Journal of Educational Research, 39 (4-5), 457-475.

Merritt, E. G., Wanless, S. B., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Cameron, C., & Peugh, J. L. (2012). The contribution of teachers' emotional support to children's social behaviors and self-regulatory skills in first grade. School Psychology Review, 41 (2), 141-159.

Murray, C., & Greenberg, M. T.  (2001).  Relationships with teachers and bonds with school: Social and emotional adjustment correlates for children with and without disabilities. Psychology in the Schools , 38(1), 25-41.

Murray. C., & Malmgren, K.  (2005).  Implementing a teacher-student relationship program in a high-poverty urban school: Effects on social, emotional and academic adjustment and lessons learned. Journal of School Psychology, 43 (2), 137-152.

Murray, C., & Murray, K. M.  (2004).  Child level correlates of teacher-student relationships: An examination of demographic characteristics, academic orientations, and behavioral orientations. Psychology in the Schools , 41(7), 751-762.

O'Connor, E. E., Collins, B. A., & Supplee, L. (2012). Behavior problems in late childhood: The roles of early maternal attachment and teacher-child relationship trajectories. Attachment & Human Development, 14 (3), 265-288.

O'Connor E., & McCartney, K. (2007). Examining teacher-child relationships and achievement as part of the ecological model of development. American Educational Research Journal , 44 (2), 340-369.

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Reyes, M. R., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., Elbertson, N. A., & Salovey, P. (2012). The interaction effects of program training, dosage, and implementation quality on targeted student outcomes for THE RULER Approach to social and emotional learning. School Psychology Review , 41 (1), 82-99.

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Teachers' Modules

• Applying Psychological Science to Practical Instructional Problems in the Classroom

Essay on Teachers Day for Students and Children

500+ words essay on teachers day.

A   Teacher is someone who acts as a guide and inspiration to people – both young and old. He/she is charged with the responsibility of creating awareness as well as opening the mind of people by instilling values, morals, and ethics. Teachers efforts are recognized during the teacher’s day. They shape minds, and we annually celebrate their contribution to the development of society in the form of Teachers’ day across the world. However, We celebrate The International Teachers Day on October 5 th annually.

Teachers’ Day in India

Teachers are respected and honored for their important contribution in shaping individuals. 5 th of September is annually celebrated as Teachers’ day in India. This is actually the birthday of the former President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan .

Why Teachers’ Day?

The contributions and efforts made by teachers never go unnoticed. This led to the inauguration of the Teacher’s day which seeks to celebrate the efforts made by the teachers. In India, we celebrate the teacher’s day on the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was known as a man of many great qualities and attributes.

Teachers play many roles in overall development such as:

• They guide children and students to  leadership skills
• They instill discipline into young people molding them into future
• Also, they provide their students with spiritual and emotional guidance.

Teachers also come across numerous challenges in their day to day activities such as the unappreciative culture by the community as well as dealing with disciplinary issues of their students.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

What can we do on Teachers’ Day?

A thank-you can go a long way. In our busy lives, we have come to forget expressing gratitude. Many studies have come up explaining the benefits that gratitude can have on the one who expresses it and on the one who receives it. We can take this opportunity as a day to thank our teachers and express our love and care for them.

• We can suggest and provide assistance by making use of the skills that we have learned over these years.
• Also, we can give them a visit on this day and share with them our experiences. This will for sure make them happy and proud of their efforts.
• We can present a small token of appreciation, something that they could keep as a memory like a pen or a planner or something that would be useful for them.
• We should also seek their blessings and let them know that we are always there for them when they need us.
• Students can collectively gift them books and other materials and organize a get-together especially if the class has graduated.

Time spent with them and gratitude expressed would be a great gesture to make teachers happy and proud. It is very important to recognize their contribution to molding our personality.

Teachers play an important role in the development of any country . This is why it is vital to set aside a day when the teachers are given the recognition they deserve. We celebrate Teachers’ day to honor the contribution of Teachers in our lives. Duties undertaken by teachers in the upbringing of children is immense and thus being recognized with teachers’ day is a step towards recognizing the profession and the role they play in society.

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Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

P LANNING, PARAGRAPHING AND POLISHING: FINE-TUNING THE PERFECT ESSAY

Essay writing is an essential skill for every student. Whether writing a particular academic essay (such as persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository) or a timed exam essay, the key to getting good at writing is to write. Creating opportunities for our students to engage in extended writing activities will go a long way to helping them improve their skills as scribes.

But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. Practice must be meaningful. Once students have a broad overview of how to structure the various types of essays, they are ready to narrow in on the minor details that will enable them to fine-tune their work as a lean vehicle of their thoughts and ideas.

In this article, we will drill down to some aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Many ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation – just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game or in our case, the writing of the essay.

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• 270  pages of the most effective teaching strategies
• 50+   digital tools  ready right out of the box
• 75   editable resources  for student   differentiation  
• Loads of   tricks and tips  to add to your teaching tool bag
• All explanations are reinforced with  concrete examples.
• Links to  high-quality video  tutorials
• Clear objectives  easy to match to the demands of your curriculum

Planning an essay

The Boys Scouts’ motto is famously ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a solid motto that can be applied to most aspects of life; essay writing is no different. Given the purpose of an essay is generally to present a logical and reasoned argument, investing time in organising arguments, ideas, and structure would seem to be time well spent.

Given that essays can take a wide range of forms and that we all have our own individual approaches to writing, it stands to reason that there will be no single best approach to the planning stage of essay writing. That said, there are several helpful hints and techniques we can share with our students to help them wrestle their ideas into a writable form. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of these:

BREAK THE QUESTION DOWN: UNDERSTAND YOUR ESSAY TOPIC.

Whether students are tackling an assignment that you have set for them in class or responding to an essay prompt in an exam situation, they should get into the habit of analyzing the nature of the task. To do this, they should unravel the question’s meaning or prompt. Students can practice this in class by responding to various essay titles, questions, and prompts, thereby gaining valuable experience breaking these down.

Have students work in groups to underline and dissect the keywords and phrases and discuss what exactly is being asked of them in the task. Are they being asked to discuss, describe, persuade, or explain? Understanding the exact nature of the task is crucial before going any further in the planning process, never mind the writing process .

BRAINSTORM AND MIND MAP WHAT YOU KNOW:

Once students have understood what the essay task asks them, they should consider what they know about the topic and, often, how they feel about it. When teaching essay writing, we so often emphasize that it is about expressing our opinions on things, but for our younger students what they think about something isn’t always obvious, even to themselves.

Brainstorming and mind-mapping what they know about a topic offers them an opportunity to uncover not just what they already know about a topic, but also gives them a chance to reveal to themselves what they think about the topic. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write . When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student can undertake before the writing, so practicing this will be even more important.

RESEARCH YOUR ESSAY

The previous step above should reveal to students the general direction their research will take. With the ubiquitousness of the internet, gone are the days of students relying on a single well-thumbed encyclopaedia from the school library as their sole authoritative source in their essay. If anything, the real problem for our students today is narrowing down their sources to a manageable number. Students should use the information from the previous step to help here. At this stage, it is important that they:

●      Ensure the research material is directly relevant to the essay task

●      Record in detail the sources of the information that they will use in their essay

●      Engage with the material personally by asking questions and challenging their own biases

●      Identify the key points that will be made in their essay

●      Group ideas, counterarguments, and opinions together

●      Identify the overarching argument they will make in their own essay.

Once these stages have been completed the student is ready to organise their points into a logical order.

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

There are a number of ways for students to organize their points in preparation for writing. They can use graphic organizers , post-it notes, or any number of available writing apps. The important thing for them to consider here is that their points should follow a logical progression. This progression of their argument will be expressed in the form of body paragraphs that will inform the structure of their finished essay.

The number of paragraphs contained in an essay will depend on a number of factors such as word limits, time limits, the complexity of the question etc. Regardless of the essay’s length, students should ensure their essay follows the Rule of Three in that every essay they write contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Generally speaking, essay paragraphs will focus on one main idea that is usually expressed in a topic sentence that is followed by a series of supporting sentences that bolster that main idea. The first and final sentences are of the most significance here with the first sentence of a paragraph making the point to the reader and the final sentence of the paragraph making the overall relevance to the essay’s argument crystal clear. 

Though students will most likely be familiar with the broad generic structure of essays, it is worth investing time to ensure they have a clear conception of how each part of the essay works, that is, of the exact nature of the task it performs. Let’s review:

Common Essay Structure

Introduction: Provides the reader with context for the essay. It states the broad argument that the essay will make and informs the reader of the writer’s general perspective and approach to the question.

Body Paragraphs: These are the ‘meat’ of the essay and lay out the argument stated in the introduction point by point with supporting evidence.

Conclusion: Usually, the conclusion will restate the central argument while summarising the essay’s main supporting reasons before linking everything back to the original question.

ESSAY WRITING PARAGRAPH WRITING TIPS

●      Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea

●      Paragraphs should follow a logical sequence; students should group similar ideas together to avoid incoherence

●      Paragraphs should be denoted consistently; students should choose either to indent or skip a line

●      Transition words and phrases such as alternatively , consequently , in contrast should be used to give flow and provide a bridge between paragraphs.

HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY

Students shouldn’t expect their essays to emerge from the writing process perfectly formed. Except in exam situations and the like, thorough editing is an essential aspect in the writing process. 

Often, students struggle with this aspect of the process the most. After spending hours of effort on planning, research, and writing the first draft, students can be reluctant to go back over the same terrain they have so recently travelled. It is important at this point to give them some helpful guidelines to help them to know what to look out for. The following tips will provide just such help: 

One Piece at a Time: There is a lot to look out for in the editing process and often students overlook aspects as they try to juggle too many balls during the process. One effective strategy to combat this is for students to perform a number of rounds of editing with each focusing on a different aspect. For example, the first round could focus on content, the second round on looking out for word repetition (use a thesaurus to help here), with the third attending to spelling and grammar.

Sum It Up: When reviewing the paragraphs they have written, a good starting point is for students to read each paragraph and attempt to sum up its main point in a single line. If this is not possible, their readers will most likely have difficulty following their train of thought too and the paragraph needs to be overhauled.

Let It Breathe: When possible, encourage students to allow some time for their essay to ‘breathe’ before returning to it for editing purposes. This may require some skilful time management on the part of the student, for example, a student rush-writing the night before the deadline does not lend itself to effective editing. Fresh eyes are one of the sharpest tools in the writer’s toolbox.

Read It Aloud: This time-tested editing method is a great way for students to identify mistakes and typos in their work. We tend to read things more slowly when reading aloud giving us the time to spot errors. Also, when we read silently our minds can often fill in the gaps or gloss over the mistakes that will become apparent when we read out loud.

Phone a Friend: Peer editing is another great way to identify errors that our brains may miss when reading our own work. Encourage students to partner up for a little ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

Use Tech Tools: We need to ensure our students have the mental tools to edit their own work and for this they will need a good grasp of English grammar and punctuation. However, there are also a wealth of tech tools such as spellcheck and grammar checks that can offer a great once-over option to catch anything students may have missed in earlier editing rounds.

Putting the Jewels on Display: While some struggle to edit, others struggle to let go. There comes a point when it is time for students to release their work to the reader. They must learn to relinquish control after the creation is complete. This will be much easier to achieve if the student feels that they have done everything in their control to ensure their essay is representative of the best of their abilities and if they have followed the advice here, they should be confident they have done so.

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Essay on My Teacher My Inspiration

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Teacher My Inspiration in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Teacher My Inspiration

Introduction.

Teachers play a crucial role in shaping our lives. They are the ones who ignite the spark of curiosity and help us discover our passions. My teacher, Mrs. Smith, is my inspiration.

Guidance and Support

Mrs. Smith always guides and supports me. She has a unique way of making learning fun and interesting. She encourages creativity and critical thinking.

Life Lessons

Beyond academics, Mrs. Smith teaches important life lessons. She emphasizes the values of honesty, kindness, and resilience. These teachings inspire me to be a better person.

In conclusion, Mrs. Smith, my teacher, is my inspiration. She has greatly influenced my life and I am grateful for her presence.

250 Words Essay on My Teacher My Inspiration

Embodiment of knowledge.

My teacher is a veritable treasure trove of knowledge. Their profound understanding of the subject matter and ability to simplify complex concepts has always left me in awe. It is their knowledge that has ignited the spark of curiosity within me, encouraging me to delve deeper into my studies.

Instilling Values

Beyond academics, my teacher has been instrumental in instilling in me values of integrity, discipline, and empathy. They have shown me that education is not just about acquiring knowledge, but also about developing character and becoming a responsible and compassionate individual.

Perseverance Personified

My teacher’s resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges have been a source of great inspiration. Their determination to overcome obstacles and their unwavering commitment to their profession have taught me the value of perseverance and hard work.

In conclusion, my teacher has been a beacon of inspiration in my life, shaping my character and guiding me towards knowledge. They have shown me the importance of perseverance, instilled in me valuable life values, and ignited my curiosity. It is through their guidance that I have been able to navigate my academic journey with confidence and enthusiasm.

500 Words Essay on My Teacher My Inspiration

The beacon of knowledge: my teacher.

Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the minds of students. They are the architects of a nation’s future, molding young minds into responsible citizens. My teacher, a paragon of wisdom and patience, has been my greatest inspiration, instilling within me a thirst for knowledge and a love for learning.

The Epitome of Patience

A source of motivation.

My teacher is a constant source of motivation. Her passion for teaching and dedication to her profession is infectious. She has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, which she passes on to her students. Her words of encouragement have always been a source of strength to me, pushing me to strive for excellence. She has shown me that learning is not a destination, but a journey of discovery, exploration, and enlightenment.

The Power of Empathy

Empathy, a virtue often overlooked, is another quality I admire in my teacher. She has the ability to understand the emotional state of her students, providing comfort and guidance during difficult times. This empathetic approach fosters a nurturing and inclusive environment in the classroom, allowing students to express themselves freely. Her empathy has inspired me to be more understanding and compassionate towards others.

Conclusion: A Lasting Impact

The influence of a good teacher can never be erased. My teacher, through her knowledge, patience, motivation, empathy, and moral teachings, has left an indelible mark on my life. She has not just taught me academic lessons, but also life lessons that I will carry with me throughout my journey. She is more than just a teacher; she is my inspiration, my guiding star leading me towards knowledge and wisdom. In the words of Henry Adams, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

In conclusion, my teacher has played an integral role in my personal and academic development. Her influence extends beyond the classroom, shaping my values, attitudes, and outlook on life. She is, indeed, my greatest inspiration.

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Becoming a Teacher: What I Learned about Myself During the Pandemic

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Introduction to the Article by Andrew Stremmel

Now, more than ever, we need to hear the voices of preservice teachers as well as in-service teachers during this pandemic. How has the pandemic affected them? In what ways has the pandemic enabled them to think about the need to really focus on what matters, what’s important? What were the gains and losses? These are very important questions for our time.  In this essay, Alyssa Smith, a senior studying early childhood education, attempts to address the lessons learned from her junior year, focusing on the positive aspects of her coursework and demonstrating an imaginative, growth mindset. This essay highlights the power of students’ reflection on their own learning. But I think it does so much more meaningful contemplation than we might expect of our students in “normal” times. Alyssa gains a new appreciation for this kind of active reflection—the opportunity to think more critically; to be more thoughtful; to stop, step back, catch her breath, and rethink things. As a teacher educator and her mentor, I believe this essay represents how the gift of time to stop and reflect can open space to digest what has been experienced, and how the gift of reflective writing can create a deeper level of thinking about how experiences integrate with one’s larger narrative as a person.

About the Author

Andrew Stremmel, PhD, is professor in early childhood education at South Dakota State University. His research is in teacher action research and Reggio Emilia-inspired, inquiry-based approaches to early childhood teacher education. He is an executive editor of  Voices of Practitioners .  

I’ve always known I was meant to be a teacher. I could feel my passion guide my work and lead my heart through my classes. So why did I still feel as if something was missing? During the fall of my junior year, the semester right before student teaching, I began to doubt my ability to be a great teacher, as I did not feel completely satisfied in my work. What I did not expect was a global pandemic that would shut down school and move all coursework online. I broke down. I wanted to do more than simply be a good student. I wanted to learn to be a great teacher. How was I supposed to discover my purpose and find what I was missing when I couldn’t even attend my classes? I began to fret that I would never become the capable and inspirational educator that I strived to be, when I was missing the firsthand experience of being in classrooms, interacting with children, and collaborating with peers.

It wasn’t until my first full semester being an online student that I realized the pandemic wasn’t entirely detrimental to my learning. Two of my early childhood education courses, Play and Inquiry and Pedagogy and Curriculum, allowed limited yet meaningful participation in a university lab school as well as engagement with problems of substance that require more intense thinking, discussion, analysis, and thoughtful action. These problems, which I briefly discuss below, presented challenges, provocations, possibilities, and dilemmas to be pondered, and not necessarily resolved. Specifically, they pushed me to realize that the educational question for our time is not, “What do I need to know about how to teach?” Rather, it is, “What do I need to know about myself in the context of this current pandemic?” I was therefore challenged to think more deeply about who I wanted to be as a teacher and who I was becoming, what I care about and value, and how I will conduct myself in the classroom with my students.

These three foundations of teaching practice (who I want to be, what I value, and how I will conduct myself) were illuminated by a question that was presented to us students in one of the very first classes of the fall 2020 semester: “What’s happening right now in your experience that will help you to learn more about yourself and who you are becoming?” This provocation led me to discover that, while the COVID-19 pandemic brought to light (and at times magnified) many fears and insecurities I had as a prospective teacher, it also provided me with unique opportunities, time to reflect, and surprising courage that I feel would not otherwise have been afforded and appreciated.

Although I knew I wanted to be a teacher, I had never deliberately pondered the idea of what kind of teacher I wanted to be. I held the core values of being an advocate for children and helping them grow as confident individuals, but I still had no idea what teaching style I was to present. Fortunately, the pandemic enabled me to view my courses on play and curriculum as a big “look into the mirror” to discern what matters and what was important about becoming a teacher.

As I worked through the rest of the course, I realized that this project pushed me to think about my identity as an educator in relation to my students rather than simply helping me understand my students, as I initially thought. Instead, a teacher’s identity is formed in relation to or in relationship with our students: We take what we know about our students and use it to shape ourselves and how we teach. I found that I had to take a step back and evaluate my own perceptions and beliefs about children and who I am in relation to them. Consequently, this motivated me to think about myself as a classroom teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic. What did I know about children that would influence the way I would teach them?

I thought about how children were resilient, strong, and adaptable, possessing an innate ability to learn in nearly any setting. While there were so many uncertainties and fear surrounding them, they adapted to mask-wearing, limited children in the classroom, and differentiated tasks to limit cross-contamination. Throughout, the children embodied being an engaged learner. They did not seem to focus on what they were missing; their limitless curiosity could not keep them from learning. Yet, because young children learn primarily through relationships, they need some place of learning that helps them to have a connection with someone who truly knows, understands, and cares about them. Thus, perhaps more than any lesson, I recognized my relationship with children as more crucial. By having more time to think about children from this critical perspective, I felt in my heart the deeper meaning children held to me.

My compassion for children grew, and a greater respect for them took shape, which overall is what pushed me to see my greater purpose for who I want to be as an educator. The pandemic provided time to develop this stronger vision of children, a clearer understanding of how they learn, and how my identity as a teacher is formed in relationship with children. I don’t think I would have been able to develop such a rich picture of how I view children without an in-depth exploration of my identity, beliefs, and values.

In my curriculum course, I was presented a different problem that helped me reflect on who I am becoming as an educator. This was presented as a case study where we as students were asked the question, “Should schools reopen amidst the COVID-19 pandemic?” This was a question that stumped school districts around the nation, making me doubt that I would be able to come up with anything that would be remotely practical. I now was experiencing another significant consequence of the pandemic: a need for new, innovative thinking on how to address state-wide academic issues. My lack of confidence, paired with the unknowns presented by the pandemic, made me feel inadequate to take on this problem of meaning.

To address this problem, I considered more intentionally and reflectively what I knew about how children learn; issues of equity and inequality that have led to a perceived achievement gap; the voices of both teachers and families; a broader notion of what school might look like in the “new normal”; and the role of the community in the education of young children. Suddenly, I was thinking in a more critical way about how to address this problem from the mindset of an actual and more experienced teacher, one who had never faced such a conundrum before. I knew that I had to design a way to allow children to come back into a classroom setting, and ultimately find inspiration for learning in this new normal. I created this graphic (above) to inform families and teachers why it is vital to have students return to school. As a result, I became an educator. I was now thinking, feeling, and acting as a teacher. This case study made me think about myself and who I am becoming as a teacher in a way that was incredibly real and relevant to what teachers were facing. I now found inspiration in the COVID-19 pandemic, as it unlocked elements of myself that I did not know existed.

John Dewey (1916) has been attributed to stating, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” Learning may begin in the classroom, but it does not end there. Likewise, teaching is not a role, but a way of being. The ability to connect with children and to engage them meaningfully depends less on the methods we use than on the degree to which we know and trust ourselves and are willing to share that knowledge with them. That comes through continually reflecting on who we are in relation to children and their families, and what we do in the classroom to create more meaningful understanding of our experiences. By embodying the role of being an educator, I grew in ways that classroom curriculum couldn't prepare me for. Had it not been for the pandemic, this might not have been possible.

Dewey, J. 1916. Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education . New York: MacMillan.

Alyssa Marie Smith  is currently an early childhood education student studying at South Dakota State University. She has been a student teacher in the preschool lab on campus, and now works as a kindergarten out of school time teacher in this same lab school. In the fall, she plans to student teach in an elementary setting, and then go on to teach in her own elementary classroom.

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• DOI: 10.5430/wjel.v14n6p47
• Corpus ID: 270771423

Student Engagement with Teacher Written Corrective Feedback among Chinese Private College Students of Varying Language Proficiencies

• Yilin Jiang , Apisak Sukying
• Published in World Journal of English… 26 June 2024
• Education, Linguistics

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New digital literacy solution emerges to save Nigerian teachers, students

The centre’s focus on evidence-based solutions and market-relevant skills development promises to equip the next generation of students and teachers in public schools with the tools they need to succeed in the digital age

In a bold move to reshape Nigeria's educational and employment landscape, the Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi) has launched the Centre for Digital Development and Innovation Research (CDDIR).

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This new think tank initiative aims to bridge the gap between students, teachers, government, and digital innovation through evidence-based research and technological tools.

However, the centre's reach goes beyond students, as it aims to collaborate with various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and government bodies.

"Students are at the centre of what we're trying to do, but we'll also be working with teachers, parents, and government stakeholders to mainstream the application of technology for teaching and learning," AREAi's executive director Prince Gideon Olanrewaju, stated during the interview with Pulse Nigeria at the CDDIR launch.

He stressed the importance of evidence-based interventions, noting that many digital tools created during the COVID-19 pandemic have failed due to their reactionary nature and lack of contextual relevance.

READ ALSO: FCT schools get tech boost to level up students' digital skills

"For organisations to design digital tools, it needs to be informed with evidence and research, " he added.

The centre's fundamental goal is to combat this trend by creating sustainable, research-backed solutions that meet the specific needs of Nigerian communities.

Olanrewaju pointed out the importance of integrating cultural and contextual factors when developing digital tools, ensuring they are not just short-term fixes but long-lasting solutions for education.

Similarly, Edidiong Simeon , Director of Programmes at AREAi, described CDDIR as a "do-think tank" that will lead digital innovation, policy formulation, and skills development.

"We aim to create a digitally competent society where knowledge and skills improve livelihoods," Simeon noted.

Tackling unemployment through digital innovation

Olanrewaju highlighted the centre's potential to address the high unemployment rate among Nigerian graduates when asked how the initiative can equip students with market-relevant skills to meet global demands.

"Digital-driven services, for example, in food tech, allow young individuals to become gainfully employed with attractive compensation," he stated.

He further emphasised the importance of digital tools in transforming key sectors, such as recruitment and education.

READ ALSO: All teachers need to learn digital skills to earn their students’ respect

Drawing from past examples, Olanrewaju noted how inefficient, non-digital recruitment processes, like the National Civil Defence Corps' physical verifications, caused chaos.

He believes that digital innovations can streamline these processes, making them more effective and safe.

"If recruitment systems were digital, many would have gained employment without the complications we've seen," he remarked.

A digital future for Nigeria

With the launch of CDDIR, AREAi is positioning itself as a leader in driving digital innovation in Nigeria's education sector.

Omoniyi Lawson, the Digital Communications officer, said to achieve this goal, the centre will focus on four key areas: digital innovation research, capacity development, digital learning strategies, and promoting technology in education.

"We aim to collaborate with governments and institutions to enhance digital literacy and empower citizens," he stated.

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• ANOMALY DETECTION
• UNSUPERVISED ANOMALY DETECTION

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9 Sep 2024  ·  Zhongbin Sun , Xiaolong Li , Yiran Li , Yue Ma · Edit social preview

Unsupervised anomaly detection is a challenging computer vision task, in which 2D-based anomaly detection methods have been extensively studied. However, multimodal anomaly detection based on RGB images and 3D point clouds requires further investigation. The existing methods are mainly inspired by memory bank based methods commonly used in 2D-based anomaly detection, which may cost extra memory for storing mutimodal features. In present study, a novel memoryless method MDSS is proposed for multimodal anomaly detection, which employs a light-weighted student-teacher network and a signed distance function to learn from RGB images and 3D point clouds respectively, and complements the anomaly information from the two modalities. Specifically, a student-teacher network is trained with normal RGB images and masks generated from point clouds by a dynamic loss, and the anomaly score map could be obtained from the discrepancy between the output of student and teacher. Furthermore, the signed distance function learns from normal point clouds to predict the signed distances between points and surface, and the obtained signed distances are used to generate anomaly score map. Subsequently, the anomaly score maps are aligned to generate the final anomaly score map for detection. The experimental results indicate that MDSS is comparable but more stable than the SOTA memory bank based method Shape-guided, and furthermore performs better than other baseline methods.

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