Guest Blogger-Relationships

Student-Teacher Relationships

Many of you know that I have excellent relationships with students. What most of you DON’T know is how I cultivate those relationships.

I am blessed to have chosen to be an agricultural educator and FFA advisor. Most of my relationship building happens in the classroom, where I ask honest and sincere questions. I ask questions about the AR book he is reading, or about her basketball game the other night, or about the plans student council has for homecoming week. I ask questions about her family and friends. I simply ask questions! Questions lead to conversation which leads to respect and good relationships.

I am fortunate to create opportunities for my students – events and activities that occur outside of the school. Field trips are a wonderful occasion to work on student relationships. On bus rides, I am rarely sitting in “my” seat at the front of the bus. I move around, talking to all of the different groups of students, playing a game of cards if the trip is long enough, and even participate in sing-a-longs.

My student relationships are built year-round. I use social media to keep the ag program in front of students throughout the year. I’ve been using Instagram recently because the app will push to Twitter and Facebook automatically. I use the Remind texting app with FFA officers for practice and meeting reminders. My latest addition is a new television that displays monthly activity calendars, announcements, celebrations, objectives, and an ag comic. Students engage with the TV daily.

I continue relationships with students after they graduate from PHHS. Several students each year pursue their American FFA Degrees which requires students to work with me on record books and applications during their college breaks. The students that pursue agricultural education in college are the neediest! They ask all sorts of questions. I have former students that work locally in the industry of agriculture who contact me with job openings, scholarships, and events that might interest my students.

What can you do to begin cultivating relationships? Talk to the students. Ask them questions. Respect them and their opinions (as wacky as they are sometimes). Laugh with them. Catch pancakes with them. Be flexible with them while still maintaining expectations.

P.S. Thank you for your continued support of the ag program and FFA here at PH! Pancake Day is coming up on March 26 and I hope you will come down and catch your breakfast!