"It always seems impossible unless it's done"
A good appreciating, motivating and encouraging teacher who leaves an everlasting impression on your personality is very hard to find. Being overburdened and lacking proper time management skills we as a teacher probably start passing on negative vibes to our students too whether knowingly or unknowingly. As a teacher we are the ultimate source of motivation for our students. So when we show negative reinforcement or use depreciating and discouraging words, it affects the psychology of the child drastically thereby pulling the student away from studies and other activities being conducted by the school and slowly losing confidence and interest in self.
So, As a teacher we should be very careful with the kind of speech we use for our students by avoiding favouritism, keeping self stress and tensions at bay and being professional in our attitude in order to create positive spirit, encourage creativity, welcome criticism, build courage, encourage challenging and silly questions and being selfless with our students.
Remember to avoid these 7 phrases to win best the hearts of our students:
You lack the potential
Every child is unique in potential and creativity. A teacher should never judge a student based on just one factor and devoid him of different tasks in the school. The basic tendency of the class teachers seems to bifurcate students as good or bad and best or worst based on their potential. Such students are thought to have interest and skill of doing a certain task in a creative way but are not noticed by the teacher due to other factors which carry more weightage than potential.
You are a born fool
This is the most common phrase used by teachers today either jokingly or purposely during the ongoing class. This phrase, when used by a teacher for a specific student in front of other classmates, becomes the talk of the school. The other students take advantage of the same and start pulling his or her leg thereby creating frustration. It affects the mental balance of the child and pulls him away from life. So teachers be mindful when and where you use these phrases.
Stop being Oversmart
Many teachers do not entertain students who try to put them down in front of the other students when they share some unique information and knowledge unknown to a teacher or by correcting teachers when they go wrong. If this situation continues frequently we term those students to be oversmart but it's actually the other way round to look into this. It's not the oversmartness of the students but the ill - preparation and poor planning of the teacher in respect to a specific topic.
Stop asking stupid question
We as teachers frequently encounter hundreds of questions every period. Some of the questions we find easy to answer, some more are moderate which require little thinking and application whereas some others are highly challenging involving higher order thinking. When we come across such challenging questions, we discourage the child stating that it's a stupid or silly question wherein we are not able to answer the question appropriately. So we as a teacher should try our best to answer such challenging questions too and get back to the students with a positive answer in order to leave the child feeling content and happy at heart and satisfied at mind. And also we should encourage students to ask as many questions as possible to improve their learning process.
You are useless
We frequently term students useless by looking at their physical, social, mental or emotional traits. It's a highly demotivating word which completely shatters a student mentally who faces it regularly. A teacher should always remember that no student is useless rather we use them less. So as a teacher we should try to involve every student in all different types of activities and events that we plan for in the school and not favour any particular child every time.
Why didn't you listen the first time
Generally as a teacher, what we frequently do during conducting our lectures is we normally tell students to pay careful attention while explaining and still if they don't understand that concept then they can approach her with the doubt anytime. But to our surprise it doesn't happen the same way. We instead shout at the student and make them so insecure that next time even though the child doesn't understand any specific concept, he or she will be scared to approach and face the teacher to ask her the doubts and get it clarified. So as a teacher we should be easily approachable and patient to answer students queries.
I am very busy right now
A student feels motherly with the teacher and at ease when teachers address their needs and requirements at the proper time. We as a teacher should Always have a heart to attend first to your students' needs rather than our other work, as it is because of the students that we become a good successful teacher. Never turn away your students saying that you are busy rather leave all your work to be with your students.
If you are using these phrases on a regular basis, So start avoiding these common phrases in your classroom and see the uniqueness of your students and the transformation it brings to your classroom. Start appreciating. Stop discouraging.
"Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle"
Have A Happy Teaching!
By Shobha Joy Gaddam
(Academician & Educator)
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