Student: Katelyn Fleming

Classes Observed

Date: 17/2/21

CRITICAL REFLECTION ON TEAM OR ASSISTANT TEACHING

CRITICAL OR DEEP REFLECTION:

Teacher- Student Relationships

During my school placement, I found having a good relationship with the students is vital. In my classroom I create a great bond between myself
and students, so it gives them a nice comfortable environment to walk in to.

I feel developing positive relationships between a teacher and student is a fundamental aspect of quality teaching and student learning. “If a
teacher has a good relationship with students, then students more readily accept the rules and procedures the disciplinary actions that follow
their violations”. (Marzano, 2003). Positive teacher- student relationships promote a sense of school belonging and encourage students to
participate cooperatively. When I was in school, I noticed the relationship between teachers and students can have a lasting impact on the
development of a child. I agree with this because my teacher had a great impact on me when I was on school. She was a role and wanted to be
just like her and here I am pursuing my dream of becoming a future educator here in GMIT Letterfrack. I noticed the teachers with strong
classroom bonds were able to achieve higher levels of academic success among students in comparison to the teachers who did not have a
strong bond with the students. “Pupils learning is most likely to flourish in a climate where this relationship is based on mutual and rapport
between yourself and your pupils”. (Kyriacou, 2007).
While observing I also noticed the use of humour in the classroom between the students and teacher. “Linked with the use of humour is the
extent to which you try to establish friendly relations with pupils”. (Kyriacou, 2007). This showed that the students felt comfortable in their
classroom and had a great relationship with their teacher which created a friendly classroom environment. Having said that, I now know that
having a strong teacher- student relationship is essential in the classroom as it develops the student’s confidence to experiment and succeed in
an environment where they are not restricted by the fear of failure.
References
Kyriacou, C. (2007). Essential Teaching Skills .

Marzano, R. J. (2003). Classroom Management that Works.