From Teaching Philosophy...
The teacher-student relationship should be professional, but personal. The teacher should know who his or her students are, their likes and dislikes, their learning styles, their personalities, their interests and hobbies, etc. By knowing details about their students, the teacher can then bring materials that will best connect with the students on an individual basis. Though the classroom is democratic, the teacher must maintain some level of authority within the classroom in order that he or she achieves a level of trust and respect from the students. Finally, the teacher should develop the kind of relationship that allows the students to look up to him or her as a role model. By developing this kind of relationship, the teacher enables learning not only in his or her verbal communication, but also in his or her actions.
Incorporating Professional but Personal Into Lessons...
Throughout the Poetry Unit, I tried to maintain a level of
professionalism with my students, through the way I dressed and how I
spoke. However, I also wanted to develop a personal relationship with my
students in order to establish trust and gain their interest in the
material. I wanted to get to know my students so that I could best find
materials that would interest them. I consistently did this by allowing
students choice in their poem topics. For example, when we were writing
diamantes, one student chose to write about the difference between
skateboarding and skiing.
Another student wrote a haiku about his experience with hunting.
Similarly, when we studied the quatrain, I chose songs I knew my
students would be interested in. By establishing and maintaining this
combination of professionalism and personal interest, I developed a
unique rapport with my students that has continued through later units.
Lessons that Relate to Professional but Personal: