Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Dandian Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Huanggang Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
There are countless teaching methods and different schools of thought about which materials, activities, and content to utilize in the classroom; however, building rapport is one aspect of teaching most teachers can agree on. Building rapport is the ability to relate to others in a way that creates a level of trust and understanding. Building rapport is one of the most important things a teacher will do when addressing a class for the first time. Building rapport provides both teachers and students with great benefits. For students, building rapport allows them to feel comfortable, relaxed and helps the teacher build trust and creating a common ground. Developing a comfortable connection helps students feel at ease. Being comfortable to speak and make mistakes in front of someone, allows the lesson content to be at the forefront of the learning experience devoid of insecurities. Feeling awkward or uncomfortable often makes students feel self-conscious, causing their attention to waver. In less formal situations building rapport happens naturally, and it should feel natural in the classroom as well. Often, a proper introduction and a few words about yourself are enough to ease tension; diminishing that uncomfortable feeling of talking to someone you don't know. Allowing students to introduce themselves and share some information about them puts other students at ease as well. Developing a connection by building rapport is important and creates a comfortable environment for students to learn. Building rapport is also a way to provide students with a positive learning environment. A clear mind free of conflict is conducive to learning; nevertheless, students may encounter hardships outside of the classroom. Most people have experienced feeling anxious or tense, so much so that it inhibits the ability to contemplate anything else. Building rapport is helpful to teachers, as it eliminates uncertainty, helps ease tension, stress, and anxiety by creating a learning environment where students feel uninhibited and are free to learn. Creating a stress-free environment also benefits the teacher. A stress-free work environment helps teachers' performance in the classroom, which ultimately builds confidence in the students about their instructor. Being stress-free and relaxed is the best environment to be in when learning and teachers should aim to provide a learning environment where this is possible. Trust is being able to rely on someone to do the right thing, to be respectful and mindful. Building trust is conducive to learning. In the classroom, trust means being able to risk looking or saying something incorrectly or silly in front of someone. Building an environment where people are understanding and empathetic to your feelings builds trust. Building rapport allows the student to trust in a teacher to impart correct information, guide them to understand the lesson content and trust in the teacher's ability to understand their needs. Students will open up and be willing to make mistakes when they feel trust is established. Building trust takes time but engaging with the students at the beginning of class, will set the foundation to build trust. Building rapport provides both teachers and students with great benefits, it is important to build rapport to ensure a successful learning outcome.
