Relationship Building

With students. Marzano and Marzano (2003) found that teachers who had strong relationships with their students had fewer discipline problems than teachers who did not. They suggested the following habits to build positive relationships with students:

Greet students by name when they arrive to class.

Compliment students (haircut, achievement, or sport accomplishment).

Attend students’ extracurricular activities. Students notice and are thrilled that you take the time to see them.

Talk to students informally whenever possible.

Ask questions about their interests.

Listen, listen, listen!

Make students feel special

Students like to feel special. To show them that they are, I include activities in the classroom routine that promote personal attention, fun, or distinction to build relationships with my students. Those exclusive activities include:

Executive lunches. Individual or group lunches forge a special bond between you and the students. Use a tablecloth or place mats to emphasize the specialness of the occasion.

Student surveys. My students enjoy developing surveys and polling their peers on likes and dislikes.

Individual reading or writing conferences. One-on-one conferences are a great way to connect with each student.

Journal dialogues. I read students’ journal entries and personal narratives, and then write comments back to them.

—Sarah Wolfe Hartman, 3rd-Grade Teacher, Buckland Mills Elementary School, Gainesville, Virginia