On the Podcast: How Quick Visits Outside of Class Build Student Rapport

Berit Gordon is back this week with her tips for new teachers. In this brief yet powerful episode, she talks about spending a few minutes outside of class, observing and engaging with students in informal settings. When students see a teacher engaging with them voluntarily, they feel valued and noticed.

Berit's forthcoming book The New Teacher Handbook if full of strategies like these!

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Today, I want to talk about something that new teachers can do to really reignite some good feelings in their class and boost the rapport with students. And it is so quick and easy to do. This is about going to see your students when you're not actually paid to do so, for just five or 10 minutes a week. I'm going to tell you why this really pays off, and just quick ways to do it that will not feel taxing, and will just boost you and your teaching day, as well as your kids. And first, I do not judge. If you find yourself with 10 extra minutes, and you're not teaching and you don't have to be anywhere, I don't judge you. If you need to go into your classroom, and close the door, and turn off the lights, and close a little blind on your window, and just sit there and decompress for 10 minutes, do it. That is also valuable.

But if you have another five or 10 minutes, even if it's just on your way to make copies or to leave the building, to just pop in anytime you can spot your students when you don't actually have to see them, whether it's in the cafeteria or it's at recess, or it's at their specials, or if you're middle or high school in one of their other classes. It doesn't have to be that you're going to the football game for three hours or you're seeing a student play. These tiny little moments where students spot you and they know you don't have to be there. And even the youngest students, trust me, they know when you have to be there and when you just seek them out. When students feel like you delight in them in some way, that you sought them out and you got to kick out of seeing them outside of class, this pays off so much.

And again, it can just be like popping your head in. And the lovely thing about it for you, new teacher, is you also get to observe your students in a way you never get to do. When you're on in the classroom, you don't have to manage them. There's some other adult in charge, whether it's the lunch aids or the recess monitor, or a different teacher. You don't have to worry about managing them. You just get to observe them in a different natural habitat. And then later when you see them, you can say something. And again, this builds rapport. You can say, "Oh, I didn't know you were learning minor keys in orchestra." Or, "Oh, my gosh, Sean has these mad skills on the Gaga court. Who knew?"

When they hear this kind of thing or when you say, "Oh, I'm not ready to say goodbye to you yet, I'm going to walk you out at dismissal," the payoff is just tremendous. And it really will teach you a lot of new things about your students when you see them outside of your class setting. And you might just enjoy your teaching day a little bit more. So, even just a couple minutes here or a couple minutes there, I find students don't notice how long I stay in the cafeteria. They notice how many times they see me and I say something. So, it can be really quick.

Thanks for tuning in today. Exciting news, Berit has a forthcoming book, The New Teacher Handbook, and it's full of tips like these. Head over to blog.heinemann.com to learn more about the book and read a full transcript.