A warm smile can go a long way toward helping students who are struggling academically.
We have heard that rules without relationships lead to rebellion. This sentiment rings true even in our lives. Just like children, we find it difficult to heed the direction and instruction of someone with whom we have no relationship.
We have trained children to be sceptical of strangers, but if we want them to be successful in classrooms, we need to counter that with relational equity — building the value of the relationship between teacher and student over time.
Students must know that their teachers are on their team and want the best for them, rather than think of them as authority figures waiting for them to make mistakes. When teachers show genuine interest in their student's well-being, children are quick to listen, trust, and learn.
In the classroom, children find security in their relationship with their teacher. It is vital for teachers to recognise that fostering supportive relationships with students is a fundamental part of a child's educational experience.
Here are three strategies to build that all-important relational equity and leverage it to help students thrive:
Disarm students with understanding.
When students are under performing, sometimes it is difficult for us to investigate the reason. However, breakthroughs happen when we prioritise engaging the student before jumping to conclusions.
Students often expect teachers to react to under-performance with consequences, so when a teacher does the unexpected, like reacting with empathy, compassion, and understanding, the student becomes disarmed and vulnerable in a good way.
When teachers confront a student about their performance in an empathic way or surprise them with a smile, there is a greater likelihood of a productive conversation. Instead of giving one-word answers and responding defensively, often students relaxes and engages in a way that leads to solutions.
Problem solve in a meaningful way.
Students tend to struggle with this skill and using underachievement as an opportunity to practice problem-solving is highly productive. Starting by brainstorming possible solutions to the root issue and helping the students choose the solution that seems most realistic, goes a long way.
It may be that children might need help becoming efficient in their schoolwork, so they may need to learn how to use a calendar or specific interventions. Some of these issues can be solved through coaching and conversations, while others might require educators to widen the circle of support. Responding in this way helps build the relational equity that is so valuable in classrooms.
Nurture students’ self-advocacy skills.
When we address issues in a student's academic performance, it helps them to see it as an opportunity to strengthen their self-advocacy tool kit.
Successfully communicating with teachers is a learned skill that sets the stage for later self-advocacy with professors and supervisors — and students do not always get the opportunity to practice that skill deliberately. Many students know that their teachers are there to help but often have no idea how to ask.
If a student is struggling in one class, the odds are that they are also struggling in other classes. Teachers can use the conversation about one class as a catalyst to address performance in other classes. Sometimes helping students write an email to their other teachers leads them to be successful in those classes — and builds their confidence.
Helping students through under-performance requires sensitivity and authenticity. Teachers must be deliberate in supporting students' welfare. Sometimes students who struggle the most academically need just one adult in their life to be their advocate.
Massrat Shaikh
The writer is an educational psychologist
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