Teacher Support Motivates StudentsStudents with teachers considered to be more emotionally supportive in the beginning of the school year proved to more behaviorally engaged in class, were motivated to achieve academically, and displayed more positive relationships with peers.
Source: How teacher emotional support motivates students: The mediating roles of perceived peer relatedness, autonomy support, and competence Ruzek E.A., Hafen C.A., Allen J.P., Gregory A., Mikami A.Y., Pianta R.C. (2016) Learning and Instruction, 42 , pp. 95-103. |
Making Students Feel like FamilyResearch supports that positive classroom environments facilitates learning and therefore enhances student academic achievement. The factors that contribute to a positive classroom environment include daily routines and activities, teacher-student interaction which show the teacher cares about the students' progress, and encouraging peer-to-peer interaction.
Source: Cabello, B., & Terrell, R. (1994). Making Students Feel Like Family: How Teachers Create Warm and Caring Classroom Climates. The Journal of Classroom Interaction, 29(1), 17-23. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23870438 |
Evidence-Based PracticeSupporting students social and emotional development is an evidence-based practice. Students social and emotional health is linked to a child's success in school. It's essential that teachers have a holistic approach in teaching. A large part of a students day is spent in the classroom, this means there needs to be a focus on the whole child and not just the academic component. Research has demonstrated that a student's cognitive development decreases or improves depending on how the child interprets their social environment. There are some evidence-based strategies for supporting social and emotional development in the classroom. Look below for the suggestions!
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1. Peer InteractionAllowing time and incorporating activities for students to work together with other students or explain thoughts and ideas with another adult aids students in making better connections to material being absorbed.
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Remember to:
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2. Involve FamiliesIt's important to involve family and other community members and institutions in supporting and building social skills. This allows for the students academic and social learning to occur across multiple contexts while also letting them know there are many adults that are there to support them.
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3. Maintain Positive RelationshipsPositive relationships with students is a vital aspect of teaching. It's a suggestion to establish strong, accepting and engaging relationships among students and teachers. Doing this, students are more likely to approach difficult problems in the classroom and work longer on hard tasks.
4. Model Skills and BehaviorsIt's important as teachers to ensure not only we teach students how to handle their social and emotional well-being but that we model and train students in how to cope with peer conflict and their emotions. Ways you can do this is with good classroom management and building an environment that is positive.
Jones, S. M., & Kahn, J. (2017, December 13). The Evidence Base for How Learning Happens. Retrieved October 3, 2018, from https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2017-2018/jones_kahn
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