The relationship between the teachers and the students is an important aspect in learning. As it helps both teachers and students achieve their potential. Learning happens best in an environment that is conducive for both the teacher and the student. Forming a good and lasting relationship doesn’t absolutely ensure that the learning process is a success, but it does make it more possible. It can increase the participation of the students in classes and improve the relationship they have with their fellow students. This doesn’t mean that every strong student-teacher relationship will guarantee great learning. There are too many other outside factors or problems like: finances, housing, relationship, health, work that can also stand in the way of learning. However, building healthy relationships may help overcome some of these other barriers, and certainly can have learning benefits. Therefore, perhaps the best thing a student can do is to visit their instructors during their office hours (and beyond if lucky). The problem is that many students do not take advantage of this opportunity. They prefer seeking more advice from fellow classmates who may not be experienced as the teachers. Some may be afraid of the teachers, which may be caused by unhealthy past relationship in the school. Regardless of the causes, when students don’t make the most of their instructor’s office hours, their learning is diminished.,
Classrooms may form the perfect platform for students to advance their knowledge and skills on various issues concerning their field of study. They ideally ensure proper interaction among the students and allow them to discuss and have a better understanding of the issue at hand. However, the world is seldom ideal. Some students find it hard to go to class. In universities, for example, many students choose to skip class and read on their own or have some fun. The main reason for this is the lack of commitment among the students. Some of them are just in school because their parents forced them to go. Some just go as it is the norm and they need to meet up with friends from the school. Commitment is important as it ensures students have the will to learn and this prompts them to attend classes. Hooks was an African American who was determined to fight for equal rights for women and against racism. Her commitment to learning led to her obtaining a doctorate degree and began her career as a teacher. She had the perfect platform to air her views and educate people on the feminism and racism. According to Hooks, who is a teacher, a scholar, and a writer, “My commitment to learning kept me attending classes” (256). She knew that she had an obligation to learn and so she went to her classes for more. The zeal she had for learning was what drove her to going to class.
Paulo Freire, who is a late educator and philosopher from Brazil and was an advocate of critical pedagogy, claims that, “education is the practice of freedom as opposed to education as the practice of domination” (8). In most cases, education is taken as a depositing act where the work of the teacher is to deposit and the students receive. Students do not have much freedom in this case as they receive what is given by the teachers as opposed to contributing to what they receive through activities such as discussions. This type of freedom encourages participation in classrooms, leading to better learning experiences of the students. The more students share and listen to other people’s opinions, they are bound to learn more. During the class discussions, they are able to come up with different workable solutions to solve a problem as people think differently. It also gives them a platform to air their views and share with each other.
The teacher-student relationship may be one of the causes for most students skipping classes. A bad relationship between the teachers and the students affects the mode of communication in the classroom and the zeal for students to learn and attend classes. According to Gallagher, a psychologist at the New York University, there are certain outcomes that are associated with having a good teacher-student relationship and states that “when teachers form positive bonds with students, classrooms become supportive spaces in which students can engage in academically and socially productive ways” (2). It creates a perfect environment for learning and leads to the success of both the teachers and the students. Students need adequate guidance on how to go about their studies and what they need to do. Like Gallagher, Rose believes that a good teacher-student relationship is helpful for both parties as the teachers’ act as guides for the students and they should direct them on ways to use the knowledge they have more innovatively. Rose claims that, “the faculty, for the most part, do not provide freshmen with instructions on how to use knowledge creatively” (41). Students have a lot of knowledge on various subjects. Some are not in a position to know how to use this knowledge in more innovative ways and to their advantage and may need the help and guidance of the teacher to do so. Consulting the teachers during office hours can help students learn how to use the knowledge they have innovatively with the help of the teachers, hence creating a good relationship.
A better relationship ensures that teachers deal one-on-one with the students and advise them accordingly. With a good relationship, students have the ability to express themselves and point out their grievances and issues. This ability of students to interact with their teacher ensures smooth learning of the students and enables students to focus more on their studies than their issues. On the other hand, if the students do not interact well with their teacher, that is, have no close relationship with them and are not in a position to ask questions or share ideas, there will be a lack of concentration in the classroom, low self-esteem, and lack of understanding. Rose and Gallagher agree that indeed, keeping a healthy relationship between the teacher and students, created a conducive environment which paves way for discussions as students ask question. They both agree that giving students the chance to ask questions thus enhancing improved performance.
A good relationship between the teachers and the students helps in improving the academic self-esteem for the students. Academic self-esteem is a situation where a teacher protects the self-esteem of his or her students by correcting their mistakes in the most professional way such as disciplining them quietly and quickly. Disciplining students should be part of teaching as it helps them stay in line and do as is required of them. Students should not view this as abuse or hatred, but a way of prompting them to change their ways or rectify their mistakes. This means that the teacher should not favor one student to the other in disciplining them. Hooks agrees with Gallagher’s statement that, “positive relationships with teachers are important in supporting higher levels of self –esteem, and more confidence in future employment” (9). Self-esteem is important to students, especially during their adult stage and may help develop a positive approach in life. They are in a position to build their confidence level and ensure that they learn as much as they can in the classes.
A good teacher student relationship is the key to ensuring that the learning process is efficient. Students need to go to classrooms to ensure that they take advantage of all the opportunities presented by the teachers there. This will ensure that each student has qualitative goals rather than quantitative learning goals. Seeking guidance from the teachers in their offices also helps them understand the topics better and at the same time, creates a strong bond between the students and the teachers. Teachers need to encourage class participation to ensure that they interact freely with the students, creating a conducive learning environment. Factors hindering the learning process can be avoided and both the teachers and the students can have good performance.
Works Cited
Freire, Paulo. "The "Banking" Concept of Education." Composing Knowledge (2007): 239-251. Print.
Gallagher, Emily. "The effects of teacher-student relationships: Social and academic outcomes of low-income middle and high school students." NYU Steinhardt (2016).
Hooks, Bell. Teaching to Transgress. London: Taylor & Francis, 1994.
Rose, Mike. "The politics of remediation." Conversation about identities (2004): 32-45. Document.
