With the sound of the first bell, students scurry from room to room. Anxious to meet their peers and new teachers who may transform and mold their lives, students have begun relationships to influence their academic experiences.
While expectations from teachers build pressure, Tim DeGroot, ?11, believes most students meet these expectations. DeGroot is the fifth and final child in his family to attend the school.
?I think the teacher expectations are reasonable because nothing is out-of-hand or unordinary,? DeGroot said. ?Do your homework and abide by their rules.?
After attending St. Anthony School, Jaime Duzi, ?11, formed impressions of her new teachers.
?I think they?re reasonable because they?re trying to get us ready for college,? Duzi said. ?A few of the teachers did not appeal to me at first, but now I like them. The first few days of school the teachers are explaining their classes so you don?t really get to know them on a personal level.?
Another important aspect of the classroom includes communication between teacher and student. Some people view student-teacher relationships to be very important and often beneficial. Melody Downie-Dack, a Spanish and World History teacher, holds similar views.
?Communication is important because it gives students a clearer view of the teacher?s expectations, which makes for less frustration and confusion,? Downie-Dack said. ?Teachers should communicate to the students that they are interested in what the students have to say.?
The Public School Parent?s Network is a reference and information hub run by parents of school children. It is dedicated to expressing the educational issues conflicting students of all ages today.
It is important to remember a child’s relationship with his or her teacher can influence academic success.
Campus teachers provide many avenues that allow students to cultivate their relationships: taking students off campus for lunch or providing math labs during teacher lunches. As current secretary of the campus leadership team, Jacqueline Cowin, ?10, shares some advice concerning these relationships.
?Appreciate and understand your teachers and what they do for you,? Cowin said. ?Always be willing to help out and always do your homework.?
Many students realize the importance of their student-teacher relationships.
?It is important because your teachers are there to help you; and they can?t if you don?t communicate with them,? Cowin said.
Teachers also see positive results from their relationships with students.
“When a student and a teacher have a positive relationship, they can be beneficial,” Michael Fenton, head of the math department, said. “Teachers can give you the benefit of the doubt or cut you some slack when you forget an assignment.”
After school hours provide an excellent opportunity to meet with teachers and improve relationships. Teachers frequently remain at school after regular school hours, and arrive early each day. Contacting the teachers themselves or asking Jon Endicott, associate principal, to schedule appointments will allow students to form their teacher relationships correctly.
