Connecting with Students in an overcrowded classroom

Even though your class is overcrowded it doesn’t mean your students should feel disconnected. Granted with 30+ students it will be challenging to connect with each student, however, it is worth the effort! In you classroom try your best to be approachable, my daughter currently has a teacher who is not approachable. Even though my child is a good student she refuses to ask the teacher for any help when she is confused; simply because she says she is not nice, she would rather struggle to understand on her own.  This should not be!  As a mom and future teacher I urge you to do your best to connect with your students. Here are a few things you could do to connect with your students…

·         Recognize your students for the individual they are, if you take the time to observe you are sure to see something unique about each one

·        DO NOT sit at your desk all day move around and interact with them, even during lecture walk around as you teach your lesson. When you walk around it makes the classroom more personal. You won’t seem so distant from your students.

·        Be available to student either before or after class to listen to their questions, comments, or complaints. They have good ideas if we are willing to listen.

·        Learn as many of their names as possible, yes it may seem impossible but you should learn as many as you can

·        Many of the schools have some sort of microphone for the classroom utilize it, this way every student from the first to the back row can hear you; without having to yell at them all day.

·        Do your best to include student’s personal experiences into the assignments, this way they feel included and the work has meaning for them. For example if you’re working on graphs base it on things they enjoy take a survey as a class to come up with your data.  

These simple steps can truly make a difference in your classroom; they can help make an overcrowded classroom a little bit smaller. I hope these tips will help you. If you have any tips please leave them in the comments I would love to hear them! Until next week readers!