Healthy teacher-student bond enables effective learning
From the beginning of time, teacher-student bonds in India have gone beyond the classroom and textbooks. It is an ethereal connection infused with equal doses of discipline and affection. How do you pay back for knowledge and life lessons that are priceless? Truth is, you don’t. You pay your respect and vow to pass on the knowledge.
While the setting for imparting knowledge has changed over centuries, the effect a teacher has on their students hasn’t. Few teachers form a bond that crosses over classroom teachings. These were the teachers Aristotle referred to in his quote, “Those who educate children are more honoured that they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well”.
The beginning of bonding
Bonding is not rocket science. It is simply the joy of having an open communication channel in an emotionally safe environment. The most essential requirements for children to feel safe, secure and cared for, fostering a sense of belongingness.
When the teacher’s behaviour consistently displays parity amongst students, it instils mutual respect, and ushers in positivity. Students feel encouraged and motivated to participate and perform. This gives rise to a strong teacher-student bond which makes the student socially and emotionally intelligent, giving them oars to glide through life.
A positive teacherstudent bond opens up a world of benefits
Better academic success: Classrooms become a congenial environment when students recognise their teacher as an accomplice and not a force of opposition. In such scenarios they listen more to the teacher, are open to learning, and discussions are rewarding. With a foundation of care, trust and mutual respect, the relationship blooms.
Reduced behavioural problems: Anxiety levels can be high for students trying to fit in. Left unchecked, it translates into aggressive and disruptive behaviour in classrooms. When a teacher offers a supportive system, empathetic guidance and care, it reassures the student to feel secure and safe. Behavioural shifts happen and the student becomes cooperative, with increased participation in classroom. Studies have shown a surge in creativity and expression when the classroom environment is perceived to be harmonious.
Aiding growth within and outside classroom: When teachers focus on building bonds with their students, they also get a better understanding of each student’s personality and growth needs. These go beyond academic growth into social and emotional growth - a lifelong asset. A teacher can manoeuvre classroom activities to address these. In such a scenario, the classroom becomes a support system for children to thrive and attain life skills.
An experiment that makes it all evident
In an experiment in 2012 by a team led by Psychologist Lieselotte Ahnert, kindergarten kids took a series of cognitive tests, not to figure out who is smarter, but to find out if studentteacher relationships affect the way the children think. In a separate exercise, the studentteacher relation was measured beforehand.
In the main experiment, the kids took cognitive tests on a computer. Just before a new problem was presented, each child was shown their teacher’s face. The image appeared like a flash. So brief was the exposure the kids weren’t aware of what they saw. It was subliminal. But the effect wasn’t. The kids with strong teacher bonds, as opposed to those with weak links – all in the same class studying the same curriculum ended up solving many problems faster.