Getting to Know Students Better
It is very important for teachers to know the personal interests of students in order to form personal connections and understand the best way to teach students. Along with just getting to know students, having a personable relationship with students enhances the student-teacher relationship. This allows for teachers to form a positive rapport with students and understand students on a deeper level other than just classwork while increasing student participation and student motivation. Getting to know students goes deeper than just asking them questions on a sheet of paper, but can overall alter their experience in the classroom. This is a sample All About Me handout that I plan to use when first meeting students in September to help foster a positive and welcoming introduction into the new school year.
Connecting with Parents
ClassDojo is a tool that I used to connect with parents frequently during my student teaching. I used ClassDojo to post photos on the classroom story, send announcements to the parents, and individually message parents about their child if necessary.