CONNECTING WITH THE DISCONNECTED

We know we cannot teach a child without a connection. Talking about the importance of relationships is nothing new but sometimes we need a reminder of our WHY. With the high volume of tasks, checklists and day to day duties in schools, our why (larger purpose) of making a difference through relationships can somehow get lost.

Connecting with students who are disengaged, acting out, absent, closed down, or have almost given up in school can be very challenging. Sometimes students, no matter how much we seem to try, will continually shut us out and/or push us away. As Russell Barkley writes, “The kids who need the most LOVE will often ask for it in the most unloving ways.” We must remember our why, stay the path through the bad and the good to connect with our kids that need it the most.

Connecting is more important now than ever. How would a teacher feel if half of her feel that they belong and have a teacher that cares about them in school, and the other half do not feel that way. It is difficult for me to hear this as I know how hard we work in education. How can almost half of our students not feel cared for and a sense of belonging? The question must me asked… knowing this, now what? We know the links between positive school environment and mental health and we know the impact we can have on our students so what are we doing about this as educators, schools and as a society?

There are ways designed to create connections, moments, memories, and an overall positive school experience.

First, be interested. Make the time. Listen. Build trust. Josh Shipp tells us that “To a child, trust is spelled T-I-M-E”. We need to make the time to listen, get to know students, and build trust… and we must make this a priority. Spending just a few casual minutes a day or per class with a student that lacks connection can go a long way. Greet every child, every day. As students enter our schools and classrooms, acknowledge them. Say their name. Value them. Let them know “they matter”. Greeting a student is something that takes zero additional time but can have a lasting impact when done over time. Take a moment to not listen to simply respond or solve something but to listen to… just listen. When you make the time, you listen, and show you care, you will build trust. When you have this trust, students will let you in to their stories and you can then better understand their behaviors and where they are coming from. This helps to meet them where they are at and help from there. We know we are busy but we must always make time to be interested.

Second, start with strengths. If we find what we are looking for, what ARE we looking for? What do we see? Look for both the character strengths and the strengths of skill and then tap into these with our students. I believe that the best way to connect with a child is through his/her strengths. When we know students’ strengths, we can tap into this and even place them in leadership roles to help bring out the best. Not only do we need to look for the strengths in our students but we also need to use the strengths of ourselves. It is no secret that when people spend time in an area of strength, they are less depressed, less anxious, and have more joy in life. This is true in school as well – for students and staff. I encourage people to bring in their strengths to their lessons and also volunteer their time once in a while at lunch or before/after school with kids in an area of strength. There are few stronger connections you will make with kids than when you and the students are engaged in activities in an area of strength.

Next, celebrate and build on success. Many of our students who lack connection have gone through their school life on a “losing streak”. They have not experienced success for months or years. The thing about a losing streak is that it only takes one “win” to snap it. When we seek out the good and then find, capture, and share it, we can snap the streak and sometimes even start a new positive one. I am not a huge fan of public acknowledgement. I know it works for some people but I prefer a more private moment. When you see a positive in a student, acknowledge it privately with feedback and a pat on the back, a fist bump or just a message saying thank you and you appreciate the effort. With the access to technology, we can also capture this in a photo or video and share it with the student, his/her family and, depending on the student (as well as permissions), with a larger audience.

Be Interesting. Be relevant. Be engaging. You can ask the students if they want to be in your class.” Telling students they will “need this in the ‘real world'” doesn’t cut it. It needs to relevant right now and connected to their lives. This is the same for adults – it is very difficult to learn anything when we are disconnected from the purpose. We often take ourselves too seriously when we need to be more vulnerable, share who we are, and bring joy and passion into the classrooms (and other learning environments). In addition to making our own classrooms more relevant and engaging, we can look to doing more school-wide events that make overall school life more engaging for students. We can also develop programs that are purposeful and relevant for students that also tap into the strengths of students and staff. Students often see us as “teachers” or “principals” rather than who we are. Being an educator is a huge part of who I am but it does not define me – it is part of my story.

Create a sense of belonging. Include. Value. Belonging and being part of a community is a need for all of us. Do all our students feel they belong? Do all students feel they are included for who they are? How do we know? An inclusive school culture is so important and it is not simply about students with disabilities – inclusion is for all of us. Many behaviors are a result of a drive to belong. Work to create safe, inclusive environments in our schools.

Lastly, lead with the heart. Teach with an ethic of care. Students may not always be listening but they are always watching. How we teach becomes what we teach – we are always modeling what we believe through our words and actions. I understand the challenges we face but we must always do our best to ensure that the decisions we make must come from the angle of what we believe is best for students.

In the end, we need to start with these ways as individuals and also combine this with ideas and events that create more of positive culture as a school. We cannot do this alone but we can start with one. We can start with just one of our students who seems to lack connection and make the time, learn his/her strengths, build on success, make it relevant, ensure they are included… all the while by leading with our heart.

--oOo— The author is Teacher III at Natividad High School

The school serves as the students’ second home. Basically, it is their home away from home. Their respective classrooms would be abodes of learning and fun. Therefore, it should be maintained or better be developed into a better place for teaching and learning to take place. Both the teachers and students have to take their parts in building and sustaining a great culture inside the classroom involving order, cleanliness and maintenance.

With such culture embedded on the fibers of student and classroom management, it is as well imperative to say that classroom cleanliness and maintenance has its varied effects on the educative process of teaching and learning. Well-maintained and high-quality classroom environments help children feel safe, secure, and valued. As a result, self-esteem increases and students are motivated to engage in the learning process.

Teachers aren’t the only ones who can improve the classroom environment. It takes a village to support your students and to make them feel comfortable. Student themselves must do their part by investing in more aesthetically supportive schools. It is as well important to do your part to make classrooms more welcoming. This is not only for potential visitors but welcoming for learning opportunities. The evidence appears to show that even the smallest of changes can make a big difference in classroom environments. Teachers who include cleanup time in their classroom management or create something as simple as a space to display students’ works and accomplishments can help students feel empowered to learn.

The growth of our students requires their ability to interact with others in the classroom. Classroom Maintenance should be encouraged. It is always advisable to establish system and rules in maintaining order and cleanliness in the classroom. In a clean school facility, students will be able to perform without impacts on their health or concentration impeding them.

It’s not just students that have more success in a clean school. There is indeed a connection between school cleanliness and teacher’s teaching achievements as well, as a clean school makes for a less stressful working environment. The better a teacher performs, the better his or her students will perform. A clean environment is a more productive environment for everyone.

One of the Core Values integrated in the curricular implementation of the Department of Education is Makakalikasan. It is one of the main objectives of the department which is to establish among the students the value of loving and taking care of the classroom and the environment in general. With such target, schools are encouraged to integrate such virtue on their instruction and even on their practices even in the school level. Teachers are then encouraged to do homeroom practices to uphold classroom maintenance and cleanliness that may lead to student’s optimum learning opportunities.

--oOo— The author is Teacher I at Betis High School

Age is just a number, I’ve seen enough proofs that it is indeed just a number. Being perceived younger than my age is a complement I always welcome. It is a thrill for me to be born with genes that camouflages my age. I owe it to my mother, really. I have never seen my mother mope when we encounter problems. She would always say that problems come and go and we need not reveal our troubles on our faces. I have kept that mantra so, when I have my own troubles, I keep a smile on my face.Medically, it was proven that smiling helps the facial muscles to keep from sagging. Emotionally, keeping a happy disposition keeps a healthy heart.

Through the years, an active lifestyle has brought nothing but very good results that radiates all over me. But when backaches, headaches and muscle spasms begin to kick in, I begin to wonder if age is really just a number.Maybe sometimes we just need to relax and take a break from all the stress of our demanding workload.