By Paul Mulvihill
“How was your Summer?” This is often a question we, as staff, ask each other on the first day back before we become completely absorbed in day-to-day activities and preparing for students' returns. Our answers would usually be in-depth and clear, which leaves us happy and confident that our colleagues are well-rested and ready to attack the new academic year. However, when we ask our students the same question we might get a very short response of ‘good’. This answer often worries me as I wonder what ‘good’ means to each individual. I like to probe students and follow up with ‘What does good mean?’, ‘What did you get up to?’ and ‘How is your family?’. This will hopefully encourage students to open up a bit more. Even if we probe and students open up about their summers we might not always get the true picture; often students will hide what they might feel is embarrassing, like not really leaving the house/flat; not having enough money to get away or not eating well for the entire 6 weeks. This is why our interactions with them on their first days back are so important. The return to WA for lots of our students may be a respite from harmful relationships, lack of comfort/food or even witnessing violence. You as teaching and support staff may be a student's only positive attachment they have in their lives; whilst this may sound sad it is also a testament to the amazing work we all complete day in day out. After a quick search online for some tips for students, staff, and parents on effective strategies in a successful return I have come up with some questions to think about in the first couple of weeks of the new academic year:
- How can you ensure interacting with you is appealing, predictable and you create a clear routine?
- How will you know what worries/thoughts students have about returning?
- How can I use trauma-informed approaches and coaching techniques to develop positive relationships with students?
Thank you Paul, this is a useful reminder of the importance of asking with genuine interest about the lives of our students, and creating an environment in which they feel comfortable chatting about their lives. Over time, developing positive relationships is so valuable in motivating students. (As I mentioned at INSET, I've seen enough teachers in action over the years to appreciate the significance of students wanting to do well in a class because they know the teacher wants them to do well).
ReplyDelete