Teach English in Wucheng Zhen - Huai'an Shi

Rapport is important to establish in a classroom environment for a variety of reasons. This can be established with a strong teacher to student relationship as well as student to student relationships. Building rapport in a classroom can help maintain respect, trust, morale and an eagerness to learn. Building rapport between the teacher and their students can be done in many ways. This begins with just the first lesson and is vitally important so that students know what to expect in the lessons to come. This can be done by finding out the expectations of your students in relation to the course as well as what they may already know. Additionally, learning the students by name and their individual interests can help create alertness and a willingness to learn by incorporating what they want into the lessons. By learning about student interests and what they would like to learn about, you can build rapport and trust by referring back to what was discussed in the first lesson throughout the coursework. This shows students that you, as a teacher, do live up to the promises you make and care about them as learners and what they think is interesting or necessary. Student to student rapport is also an important aspect in a well functioning classroom environment. This can determine whether students enjoy coming to class, enjoy learning and their willingness to participate. It is important for teachers to be aware of all of their students, whether this is their strengths and weaknesses, those who are more willing to participate or those who get along. Like teacher to student rapport, building this rapport between students starts with the first lesson. Icebreaker activities, where students learn each other's names and interests, is a good way to start building relationships. As the course continues on it is important for the teacher to take note of who works well together and who may need more assistance than others when organising seating plans and pair work. Seating plans and pair work can be changed frequently so that all students have a chance to work with each other, assist each other and get to know each other. As a result, students will find classes more enjoyable and there will be less disruptive behaviour as rapport grows. Finally, as a teacher there are further techniques that can be used to keep rapport strong among the group. If the teacher’s attitude and manner shows that they enjoy being there and they are passionate about what they are talking about, students are more likely to trust and enjoy what they are saying. Maintaining eye contact with your class exudes confidence if used in an appropriate way and shows the teacher is knowledgeable in what they are saying. It is also important that if a question is asked and the teacher does not know the answer, they are honest about this and get back to the students during the next lesson with feedback. This shows students that their questions are valid and you care about what they have to say, further building rapport, respect and trust between the students and the teacher. Gestures such as smiling and being positive will also help maintain a real eagerness to learn. In conclusion, it is important to build rapport in a classroom so that there is a level of respect among everyone in the room, trust towards the teacher and a real eagerness to learn for the students. This can be done by building strong rapport between the teacher and their students as well as the relationships among students in the classroom. Overall, showing genuine positivity in everything you do as a teacher, as well as living up to your promises right from the first lesson are the best ways in which you can keep your classroom environment thriving.