5 Mistakes Teachers Make in a Classroom
As a teacher, it becomes your duty to educate the children under your wing to become the best versions of themselves. You go the extra mile to ensure that your children understand every topic you cover, every lesson that's been taught, and every word uttered. But as a teacher, you re a human, and therefore, you are prone to making mistakes. It is human nature to make mistakes, but taking a step forward to recognize these mistakes and correct them is what differentiates a good teacher from a great one. The difference may start out small, but its impact would be magnified as the weeks pass on by.
That being said, there are several things teachers should never say or do. These actions and words condemn you from being able to reach your children in a way you would want to. They undermine authority and create barriers between you and your students, and as you preach the importance of words and actions, you too must remember its consequences. As a teacher, it is your responsibility to create an environment that will help in lifting up a child to create wonders, not barriers. Here is a list of 5 things a teacher should never say or do in a classroom.
5 Things Teachers Should Never Say
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"I don't care if my students like me.". It should, and in fact, without a creation of a bond with your students, your job as a teacher only complicates itself. If your students don't like you or trust you, you will not be able to maximize the time you have with them. Failing to understand will lead to you failing as a teacher. When students genuinely like a teacher, the teacher's job as a whole becomes much simpler, and they re able to accomplish more. Establishing a good rapport with your students ultimately leads to both parties winning.
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"You'll never be able to do that". A rule that should be understood by a teacher without having to word it out, should be teachers always encouraging students. No one is allowed the right to crush another's dreams, and as is the case with a teacher and a student, the teacher should encourage a student to push harder to achieve what they want. As an educator, it is not in your line of business to predict the future, but to open doors for it. Limiting your students and stopping them from reaching their limit, is the opposite of what the teaching profession proclaims as its mission.
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"You are just lazy". It so happens that when you're repeatedly told something that you're not, that statement becomes a part of who you are. Similarly, when students are repeatedly told that they are lazy, it becomes a part of their personality, and they begin to revel in the new character trait. Many students are mislabeled as "lazy", when there is a deeper reason that they're not putting in much effort. Instead of labeling your student as lazy, try to find out the cause of this change in behavior and response. Indulgent teachers are offered a student's trust more easily, which can allow you to help solve their problems.
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"That's a stupid question!". Always be ready to answer any question regarding the topic or content you're covering in the classroom. Students must always feel comfortable to communicate their thoughts in the classroom, and should be encouraged to ask questions. When a teacher refuses to answer a student's questions, they end up discouraging the entire class, and the student that asked the question, from asking any more questions during class hours. Questions are important as they give you a direct feedback of how much of the content was understood by the class, and how far can you extend the topic you're teaching for learning.
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"I've gone over that already. You should've been listening.". Since no two human beings are the same, so too are students in a classroom. Every student processes information differently, and the amount of time taken to process received information varies. It doesn't always have to be students not paying attention; it could also be the concept being new or difficult for the student to understand. There is a good chance that multiple students need further explanation even if only one is speaking up.
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