Good Rapport With Students

Building rapport is one of the most important steps to ensure a good learning environment, ESL or otherwise. By building rapport you learn more about what is important to your students and can make your teaching more authentic and meaningful. It will make all the difference in your students' enjoyment of the class.Rapport is defined as 'Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.' Jerome Stark of The Coaching Clinic recommends five steps for building rapport. The first step is to be curious about the other person. People respond to those who are genuinely interested in them. Secondly, when asking questions of others, be certain to give them time to respond. Once again, this shows that you are interested in them and is a sign of respect. The next...  [Read more]

In everyday life, the existence of rapport is an important, if sometimes under acknowledged aspect of any relationship a person has with another. Since teaching requires such a high level of personal interaction it is clear that the process of building rapport is all the more essential. Here I will outline one of the most widely accepted methods – Mirroring, Leading & Pacing.Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) was brought to popularity by Richard Bandler in his book “Frogs to Princes”. It discusses the idea of modeling excellent behaviors with the intent of teaching said behaviors. In studying and modeling rapport building, it was noticed that people who share a high level of rapport with each other take part in a sub conscious system of mirroring. This...  [Read more]

There are many ways to teach a class. Each teacher has his/her own style of going about it. Although the level of importance of each part that contributes to the whole of a class is important, I believe one of the most relevant parts of a class in building rapport with the students. Building rapport doesn't only ensure a smoother classroom experience but also improve the quality of lessons all together.Many institutions have put building or establishing rapport as part of their teacher handbooks. This, often considered a very insignificant part that many teachers do without, is something that they believe to be of the greatest importance. Colleges like the American University: School of Education believe that building rapport goes hand in hand with the fact that teachers 'must...  [Read more]

Rapport is important for building and sustaining a relationship with a student. It is the ability to join people who connect mentally and emotionally on the same wavelength. Having rapport will ensure that the student understands the teacher and is willing to listen to and follow instructions or explanations from the teacher. To influence a student the teacher has to be able to appreciate and understand about the needs of their students. If the student feels understood they are much more open to take on board what the teacher has to say.(1)Rapport works best when it is a philosophy and a way of dealing with people and a way of doing business at all times – in contrast to doing rapport as a technique in a sales meeting or when there is a problem. (2) Each teacher will have...  [Read more]

Classroom management requires a positive relationship between the teacher and the student. A teacher, who has a good rapport with their students, will have a better outcome. Respect for each other, will prove positive in both the relationship and study.Obstacles to this rapport may involve the classroom set up, which can create problems, such as with rows. The students, at the back, are disadvantaged. Dr. Scott Mandel Pacoima (Middle school) states ''the further back you go, the more discipline problems there are with visual, oral and physical stimulation from the teacher is increasingly diminished,,,'1.An alternative, he suggests, is to arrange the chairs and tables into a three sided box shape. In this fashion, every student is in the first row and the teacher...  [Read more]

Classroom management requires a positive relationship between the teacher and the student. A teacher, who has a good rapport with their students, will have a better outcome. Respect for each other, will prove positive in both the relationship and study. Obstacles to this rapport may involve the classroom set up, which can create problems, such as with rows. The students, at the back, are disadvantaged. Dr. Scott Mandel Pacoima (Middle school) states ??the further back you go, the more discipline problems there are with visual, oral and physical stimulation from the teacher is increasingly diminished,,,?1. An alternative, he suggests, is to arrange the chairs and tables into a three sided box shape. In this fashion, every student is in the first row and...  [Read more]

Classroom Management is the way in which we organize the resources, students and helpers in the classroom so that teaching and learning can proceed in an efficient and safe manner. Good classroom management results in higher student achievement. A good first impression goes along way in establishing and maintaining management of a classroom. ?Research shows that effective classroom organization and management during the first few weeks of school are crucial in determining expectations, behavior patterns, and procedures that will persist throughout the school year.? It is therefore important that a teacher spends time planning and preparing for the new school year. Successful teachers know how to make an environment that is stimulating and inviting. Room...  [Read more]

“To build rapport with adults in the learning environment, use positive nonverbal communication, deal with the whole person, address learners as equals, share authority, and employ informal room arrangements such as placing all the chairs in a circle, in a U, or around a table. Adult students also appreciate instructors who share appropriate information about themselves and who are approachable and accessible.” Guidelines for Working with Adult Learners. ERIC Digest No. 77.A good rapport is the first important step for any teacher when they first step into a unfamiliar classroom this is reminded in the Faculty and TA department guides for Ohio state university that “It is important to remember that initial impressions tend to be lasting and that the way you...  [Read more]

Classroom Management is a vital skill involving various aspects, which are to be judiciously used for effective and successful teaching. The skills will definitely be honed as the teacher gains experience, but there are few guidelines which can be followed, which a teacher can refer to, in dealing with different situations and challenges which the teaching profession is abound with. Body Language is important, and it can be effectively used in any situation irrespective of availability of resources, materials, irrespective of place, the number of students, the age of students and so on.Eye Contact is very effective in maintaining discipline, in holding their attention while teaching, or while addressing someone else, to monitor the whole class, and to ensure participation. But...  [Read more]

Classroom Management is a vital skill involving various aspects, which are to be judiciously used for effective and successful teaching. The skills will definitely be honed as the teacher gains experience, but there are few guidelines which can be followed, which a teacher can refer to, in dealing with different situations and challenges which the teaching profession is abound with. Body Language is important, and it can be effectively used in any situation irrespective of availability of resources, materials, irrespective of place, the number of students, the age of students and so on. Eye Contact is very effective in maintaining discipline, in holding their attention while teaching, or while addressing someone else, to monitor the whole class, and to ensure...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about TEFL - Accreditation Easy TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: LF, USA said: I have learned many things from this course. I have learned how truly complex the english language can be and how overwhelming or confusing it may seem. Having to learn parts of the english language again helped me see things from a student perspective. Even as a native speaker I had trouble. It is important to observe and understand my students and their learning style. Providing variety and learning what my students are interested in is a great way to make sure students are...  [Read more]

  This particular methodology is known as a straight arrow ESA lesson. If every single lesson that we undertook with our students was a straight arrow ESA lesson then it is quite possible that the students would be able to predict what is going to come up next and whilst this is good for the lower level students, then it could potentially become a little bit boring for our higher level students. So what Harmer did in his ideas about ESA, was to generate two other types of ESA lesson that we can use to try and generate a little bit more interest. So, the other two types of ESA lesson that we can follow: The first is known as a boomerang lesson and the second is known as a patchwork lesson and what we're going to do is to have a look at those other types of ESA lesson in a little bit...  [Read more]

Discipline is a complex issue to handle in the classroom--occasions will always arise when it is necessary, and a teacher who is unfamiliar or unskilled in discipline does a disservice not only to himself, and to the students, but to the parents, the school administrators, and, in a far distant future, society in general. Discipline is not just intended to put a stop to a currently occurring behaviour, but to teach the misbehaver why it was wrong and to show him to prevent its repeat himself. Several different methods of discipline exist, from the strictest to the most lenient, and there is a delicate balance in being an authority figure who is capable of holding discipline and having the rapport with the class that is so useful for teaching: authority must be joined to ...  [Read more]

Check out Tesolcourse.com about TEFL - Accreditation Genuine TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: YG, USA said: I feel that I have learned a great throughout the various units of this course. I was able to review grammar structures and to learn how apply that knowledge in the classroom. The most interesting part of the course was learning about classroom management and the various kinds of ways to engage with the students. I believe that establishing a good rapport with the students is of the outmost importance, as well as maintaining that status. I intend on making very detailed lessons...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word "jinni". This word describes an entity or a spirit in Muslim beliefs that can take human or animal form and influence human with supernatural powers. The word came into the English language from the Arabic word "jinn?" that can also mean demon. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit covered common problems that occur and solutions. It also served as a review for other units that...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word gibe. This word can be used as a noun and as a verb. Used as a noun, it describes a taunting remark and when used as a verb it refers to the action of making a taunting or insulting remark. Synonyms for gibe are taunt, sneer and insult. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. In a classroom, we must know when to be firm and when to leave students alone. This is what this unit developed here as...  [Read more]

  In this TESOL review, Chris from France shows us the classroom he teaches in and talks about his experience on ITTT’s 120-hour TESOL course. Chris found that the course helped to structure his lesson plans and improved his teaching skills. He recommends the course to anyone considering teaching English as a second language. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. The materials covered in Unit 1 have taught me the importance of finding the just...  [Read more]

  Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. In the unit Equipment and Teaching Aids, we can see many varieties of tools that are useful to use in the classroom, once we know that the technology is used all over the world, at least in some way, that's why we should learn how to work with this effectively. There are many aids available for us and if we use it appropriately, we can achieve our goal successfully as well as build a good rapport with our...  [Read more]

  The next category we are looking at in our series on teaching special groups in ESL are individuals. Teaching individuals, or one-to-one, forms a large part of the ESL market. Find out the positives, negatives and tips in this video. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. In this unit, I learned about developing good rapport between myself and the students in the classroom. This is very important because it will indicate how the lesson will flow and...  [Read more]

  The mixed conditional deals with the present results of imaginary situations in the past. This video is specifically aimed at teaching the mixed conditional in an ESL setting. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit focused on classroom management and included sections on classroom arrangements, teacher behaviour and ensuring good class spirit and discipline. I believe that a teacher should pay particular attention to discipline in a class...  [Read more]

  Massir is from Tunisia and has been teaching English in Omar when he decided to take our 120-hour online TEFL certification to advance in his career. He was able to use the techniques learned in his classroom and saw significant improvements. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit is about classroom management. It is not necessary to be an extrovert to be a good teacher. A teacher should be able to motivate learners. Classroom management...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video trainee Amy talks about her experiences with TEFL in China. Regardless of the course or the course location ITTT offers quality, professional training and you will be given the skills and tools you need to begin your exciting career teaching English abroad. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. Rapport between the teacher and students (and between the students themselves) plays an important part in determining if a class...  [Read more]

  In this ITTT testimonial video Natalie from Scotland describes her experience during her TESOL/TEFL course in Corinth, Greece. She talks about the valuable experience of teaching real students during the course. ITTT has successfully trained thousands of teachers of all ages from a wide variety of different backgrounds. ITTT's graduates are provided with free lifetime comprehensive job support services. We are committed to providing continual support to our graduates during their teaching careers. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that...  [Read more]

Children and teenagers (with their own special problems) have very high energy levels and it is inevitable that from time to time the teacher may have to deal with disruptive behaviour. As with all students the mood of the class and the individuals within that class will be determined by many external factors. For example: family life, peer group associations, individual personality traits. The behaviour and attitude of the teacher is perhaps the single most important factor in a classroom and can thus have a major effect on discipline.(ITTT unit 19 Class discipline/management)Defining effective managers as those teachers whose classrooms were orderly, had a minimum of student behaviour, and had high levels of time on task and ineffective mangers as those whose classrooms ...  [Read more]

Classroom management is a teacher?s ability to organize and control a classroom. It is important to establish rapport in the classroom, by establishing this relationship students are more apt to feel like they can trust the teacher. This trust will create a sense of respect in the classroom. Respect between the students and the teacher is a necessary element in the classroom so that students obey rules and regulations of the teacher and/or school. Another aspect to classroom management is keeping students involved and always making them feel like they are part of the class. Interaction with the students is a teacher?s responsibility and a teacher should also be encouraging to the students in all activities. By clearly interacting with the students through eye ...  [Read more]

TEFL teachers often work in different countries and face different national students. Sometimes, the students keep silent or show no interest on the course content. How to motivate them in the classroom has become a leading concern for teachers. Through my personal experience and TEFL course study, I find some effective ways as below:1. The teacher need know about the students' culture background. We know, every nation has its distinctive clothes and food customs, religious belief, value points and so on. If the teacher gets some information and knowledge, he/she can talk about relative topics in the class, especially, in first class. The students are great likely to communicate on these topics. This is a good beginning for following lessons.2. The teacher must have some ideas...  [Read more]

I am writing about motivation in the classroom, for the purpose of addressing the problem for teachers and to give some strategies that can be used to assist the teacher to overcome the problems.As a novice teacher I can only imagine the nightmare of having a class room full of unmotivated or demotivated students. This in itself is the motivation for me and why I choose this subject to write about. I believe that if the class is motivated the subject will take care of itself.It is believed by some that the student teacher relationship is that of power and that we should concern ourselves with the fostering of learner motivation, as it is considered to be the most effective and proactive, so to speak, power relationship. Of course levels of motivation will vary from student...  [Read more]

Whenever the discussion arises 'What makes a good teacher'', various theories and suggestions concerning a teacher's personality and his/her relationship with pupils are laid on the table. The TEFL International handbook summarises what many teachers and students suggest are the main qualities of a good teacher: 'Should be patient and kind 'Should really love teaching 'Should be lively and entertaining 'Is able to motivate learners 'Has a good knowledge of his/her subject 'Should have a good rapport and interaction with the class 'Should be able to involve all students equally throughout a lesson 'Should be able to correct students without offending them or affecting their motivation 'Should know students' weaknesses and try to give help and individual attention where...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word acumen. This word refers to a person's ability to make good decisions in a particular field. Suitable synonyms for acumen are shrewdness, sharpness, or cleverness. The word is of Latin origin from acuere (to sharpen). Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit discussed classroom management. It was very helpful in understanding the best and different ways to adequately maintain control...  [Read more]

Whenever the discussion arises ?What makes a good teacher??, various theories and suggestions concerning a teacher?s personality and his/her relationship with pupils are laid on the table. The TEFL International handbook summarises what many teachers and students suggest are the main qualities of a good teacher: ?Should be patient and kind ?Should really love teaching ?Should be lively and entertaining ?Is able to motivate learners ?Has a good knowledge of his/her subject ?Should have a good rapport and interaction with the class ?Should be able to involve all students equally throughout a lesson ?Should be able to correct students without offending them or affecting their motivation ?Should know students? weaknesses and try to give help and individual attention where ...  [Read more]