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I think we've all had teachers we liked and didn't like, some classes we enjoyed and some classes we hated, some lessons that interested us and some lessons that bored us. What made these teachers, classes, and lessons different? One important thing that can make the difference between an exciting, engaged, fruitful class and a boring, disconnected, unproductive class is the rapport the teacher has with their students. So what is rapport and how to establish a good rapport with your students? Rapport is the relationship that the teacher has with their students. When a teacher has a good rapport with their students, their students have a positive connection with them. The students like and trust their teacher and feel interested in them. If a teacher has a good rapport with their students, classroom management will be much easier. Not only will classroom management be much easier for the teacher, but the students will pay attention better, participate more in class activities, retain more knowledge, and achieve higher scores on tests. So having a good rapport with your students is a win-win situation for the teacher and the students. For some teachers establishing a good rapport with their students comes easy, but for other teachers, they may need to work a bit harder to do it. However, even for those teachers who need to work a bit harder at it, it’s absolutely possible to do and highly beneficial. Here are ten things that a teacher can do to establish a good rapport with their students. First, learn your students by name and learn something about their interests. This will make the students feel like you are a genuine person and that you care about each of them. Second, use personal examples or stories about your life in class. The students are curious about their teacher and they will appreciate you sharing some of your real life with them. This will also help to build up their trust. Third, be punctual to class and if necessary stay after class late to chat with students. This will show the students that you are a hard-working and responsible person. Fourth, explain your classroom policies to the students and why they are important to follow so that everyone can have a good class. Fifth, be enthusiastic about teaching and passionate about your subject matter. Sixth, interact with the students, have fun, be playful, joke around, don’t just lecture. Seventh, reward the students’ comments and answers with verbal praise. Eighth, be assessable to your students. Post and keep office hours. Communicate with your students online using email. Ninth, Be humble, respectful, and appropriate. Nobody likes a showoff, respect your students and they will respect you. Finally, make eye contact with the students and smile. Making eye contact with the students will show that you are listening to them and that you are confident. A nice smile always helps to create a pleasant atmosphere and lighten-up the mood. In conclusion, for a teacher, having a good rapport with their students is absolutely necessary. Not only does it help the students to be more engaged, enthusiastic, active, and well-behaved, but it can also make your job as a teacher much more enjoyable and pleasant.
