Teaching could be considered as a rather complex social activity and teachers should be able to deliver their material with proper expertise. However, many teachers are unable to apply principles of behaviour management. It remains a significant factor in any teaching session. Teachers should take a moment to reflect on how students would respond to them. Some of teachers may have aggressive body languages and strong facial emotions that can be intimidating for many students. Teachers should be able to manage their own behaviours, so they can obtain a positive response from students.
Teachers should not only need to lead the class, they also need to become facilitators. We are living in a content-rich world and it is important for teachers to facilitate and encourage students to access this information. A good teacher doesn’t make a conscious attempt to demand respect among students, but nurture it through mutual respect for their students. Among the most common pitfalls in the classroom are that teachers and students play the approval game. This could be caused by the over-friendliness and it is also important for teachers to set boundaries and can tell students about which one is right or wrong.
In general, any engagement needs an ongoing relationship and conversely, good relationships could emerge from memorable engagements. Engagement could happen anytime, when students start to listen to their teachers. Friendly teachers rely more on the commitment of their students. They could become friendly to students, without ignoring the importance of discipline. There’s an obvious down side from seeking approvals from students. Students will feel that they are controlling the whole show and that their teachers need some kind of acknowledgement. Both consciously and unconsciously, students could start to feel that they could take the lead and have subtle dominance in the class. So the obvious answer is to make students genuinely interested. They should be willing to listen unconditionally and fully respect their teachers.
Many teachers want to give what their students may need. They have an assumption on how their next class would be like. Some teachers tend to indulge in judgment and assumption. The point being made here should be about whether their assumption is related to something positive. Teachers should really know what they want and how the learning process can be expressed by their brain. They could become good teachers by preparing themselves properly. As an example, they could have enough sleep, physical fitness and overall nutrition. This allows them to be respected, listened and accepted. Teachers should also have proper cognitive and emotional capacity. They should be fair to their students and provide enough clarity. They can reflect through the situation and make connection with fellow teachers on proper ways to respond with recent teaching developments.
Unfortunately, some teachers lack proper communication skills, even if they are veteran teachers who have spent decades teach their students. They may barely smile or never smile at all. Poor teachers tend to respond in the moment, without proper plan and strategy. This kind of approach may progressively lead to frustration.