Young people are the future of our communities, our country, and our world. It is our job as adults to do all we can so that they are prepared to become good citizens and tomorrow’s leaders. The responsibility for this falls primarily on the parents of young people. Parents are the center of young people’s lives, they set the parameters for young people, they provide guidance and give them confidence to hone their abilities and have positive outlooks.
Often the second greatest influence on young people are their teachers. This group is often looked to for an explanation of how the world works and how to find their place in it. Teachers are the educators and role models of young people, guiding them and directing them in a way that sets the standard for the rest of their lives.
If you ask the most successful people in the world who was their greatest influence, many will say that a teacher provided them with the tools or thinking that played the critical role in helping them to become successful.
With such a great responsibility, it is important for teachers to understand how to positively impact students. Here are some suggestions on how a teacher can use their influence to point students in the right direction.
Always Stay Positive
Because of the role that teachers play and lots of students, is important for teachers to always understand that their opinions carry great weight. Some students will feel like they are in the middle of a lake in a sinking boat and no paddle and the teacher is the only person who can save them. Teachers should use this fact to remind themselves always remain positive with students.
Teaching certainly requires tough love and a teacher must always be above board with students regarding their behavior and performance. But they should also focus on the positive aspects of the student and use that as a foundation to get them to excel in school.
Never Compare Students
There is often the urge to compare a failing student to one that is doing everything properly on class. Teachers will often take this tactic with the desire of motivating the failing student to act like someone that they know. The strategy is partly based on embarrassing the failing student, and challenging the student in front of his peers. But the effect can often lead to the failing student feeling depressed and lacking. Because of this reason, teacher should always the suede themselves from making comparisons.
Instead great teachers like James Padlock teacher should compare that student to himself, and challenge the student to live up to his potential. This way any comparisons the student might see made are ones that are positive and any goals salt by the teacher will seem attainable by the failing student.
Praise, Praise, Praise
Teacher should consistently heap praise on students that exhibit good qualities. These qualities might include doing their assignments on time, participating fully in class exercises, assisting other students that might be falling behind, and even giving great efforts in spite of the fact that the results are not what is expected. Praise coming from a teacher can make the difference between a student feeling supported and capable and one that feels neglected and incapable. When students feel supported they will continually give their best efforts. Every teacher will tell you that they were surprised by student would initially could not keep up in class, and because of a teacher’s support, that student not only excelled, but graduated near the top of his class.
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