Murray, C., & Pianta, R. (2007). The Importance of Teacher-Student Relationships for Adolescents with High Incidence Disabilities. Theory into Practice, 46(2), 105-112. doi:10.1080/00405840701232943
The Importance of Teacher-Student Relationships for Adolescents with High Incidence Disabilities
The Importance of Teacher-Student Relationships for Adolescents with High Incidence Disabilities
The article provides research to assist the idea that teacher-student relationships are especially important amongst adolescents with high incidence disabilities because they are at a higher risk of experiencing social, emotional, and mental health problems. Students identified as having high incidence disabilities are known for showing difficulties adjusting to classroom and school environments, and are more likely than students without disabilities to experience depression, anxiety, conduct problems, delinquency, school drop out, incarceration, and poor post-high school outcomes.
The researchers in the article found that ongoing warmth and
trust, open communication, instructional support, and positive involvement
assist young children in developing relationships with teachers that resemble
secure caregiver-child attachments. In order to create more opportunities for
building positive student-teacher relationships in smaller settings, high
schools have implemented block scheduling; this allows time for students and
teachers to work together and get to no one another. These small classroom
settings allow teachers more time to develop and sustain meaningful relationships
with individual students, and allow students greater opportunity to develop a
sense of comfort.
I think the article does a great job in expressing the
importance of teacher-student relationships for students both with and without disabilities. As a teacher,
I make it a point to try to build relationships with all of my students. I make
my students feel welcome in my classroom by giving them a chance to share their
voices because I want them to understand that they are a significant piece of
the classroom environment.
Hey...Great minds think alike! I loved this article too! Student-teacher relationships are incredibly important especially for this age group. Making those connections solidifies a well run classroom. Students want to be there and they want to be a part of the learning community. The students will learn more than the math or writing. They learn social skills that will help them in all aspects of their lives. A student who is shown respect and an interest in their feelings and opinions is much more likely to show respect and to share their own ideas.
ReplyDeleteGreat article! I remember when I was an aide for a 5/6th grade self-contained classroom. I previously was a one-on-one aide for a kindergartener with autism and moved up to first grade with him. I was used to working with younger kids, but when I was placed in older grades, I was a little nervous. The students had behavior problems in the self-contained classroom. I worked with small groups of students at a time and I was really struggling. I asked for some advice from the classroom teacher and she told me to compliment my students. She said do not do it about school, but do it on their shoes or what they are wearing. I started to throw compliments to my students, and oddly enough their behavior improved for me. I could not believe it worked. When students feel like you like you truly appreciate and care about them, it makes all the difference.
ReplyDeleteI would completely agree that it's important to develop some type of relationship with students. Kids like to feel appreciated and respected, and many time a teacher get what he or she gives out. We have a teacher in our building who makes it very obvious which students she doesn't like, and those 8th grade boys completely feed off it. They know this teacher has absolutely no respect for them, and shes always surprised when they are disrespectful to her. I'm not defending the students who are disrespectful to the teacher, but I've seen many instances where a teacher thinks he or she should have everyone's respect simply because they're the teacher. You have to show respect for your students if you want them to respect you, others, or themselves.
ReplyDeleteI would completely agree that it's important to develop some type of relationship with students. Kids like to feel appreciated and respected, and many time a teacher get what he or she gives out. We have a teacher in our building who makes it very obvious which students she doesn't like, and those 8th grade boys completely feed off it. They know this teacher has absolutely no respect for them, and shes always surprised when they are disrespectful to her. I'm not defending the students who are disrespectful to the teacher, but I've seen many instances where a teacher thinks he or she should have everyone's respect simply because they're the teacher. You have to show respect for your students if you want them to respect you, others, or themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis was a popular article choice this week! Great find!
ReplyDelete