What Should Be the Relationship Between Teachers and Students?

Classroom by definition is a place where students meet to study the same subject. A teacher, who took a leadership role in leading discussions and getting students to be involved in learning the subject taught, controlled this environment at one time. Now a days, the role of a teacher in a classroom environment has been reversed. Students are allowed to take the leadership role in creating and leading discussions. Just as roles of the teacher and a student have changed in a classroom over the years, so have the relationships between a student and a teacher. Many years ago, as we have read and heard, student teacher relationships have been very formal, distant, and the teacher's judgement was accepted. With almost 21 years of experience as a student, I have come to learn the relationship between student and teacher can vary depending on many characteristics. Since everyone has a different background and a different character, it is almost difficult to say how a teacher should relate to a student or vice versa. I do believe that student teacher relationship should be professional, yet not so professional that students fear to approach. Teacher, student relationship should be formal, yet inviting. Teacher student relationship should definitely not be judgmental, and it should allow the teacher on her or his part to take time to get to know the student. At one time, about six years ago I took an economics course, which was a lower division course, it was apparently taught by one of the professors who had a very reputable standing in the department of economics. I would never forget how this professor always came to work looking very professional, wearing attire that did not seem to suit the environment. He was overly professional looking compared to other professors on campus, so it made him stand out. This look apparently had students talking about how unapproachable this professor was. No one dared to approach and ask him a question because it would only make anyone appear foolish if they did. His attitude at the beginning of the year had also thrown off many students. The fact that he would say to a student just coming into the classroom wearing his hat backwards, "Those who wear their hats backwards, their brain is backwards!" I personally did not get to know this professor because it was obvious that his intent was to just lecture and leave. It almost seemed like asking him a question would only irritate him, and no one would have wanted to witness that. In addition, he gave all students the impression that he did not want to be there either, lecturing a lower division course. It's just that he had to do it because it was part of his contract and to keep his status. There were other attributes that made students not want to approach to this professor, and it was only clear that a student teacher relationship did not and would not exist in this case. Now this is where I have to contradict what Jeffrey Hart says in his essay of "How to get a College Education." Hart states, "Any male professor who comes to class without a jacket and tie should be regarded with extreme prejudice unless he has won a Noble Prize"(129). It is only obvious that attire does not necessarily determine the attitude of the teacher or his/her ability to teach and to relate to students. Thus, a teacher or a professor, who takes his/her career seriously and seems to radiate that outlook, should not present themselves as unapproachable. A smile and an invitation for questions would allow students to feel a little comfortable and feel that they can ask a question without fear and actually learn a subject in a more pleasant way. I think hooks sets one of the great examples for educators as Andrea Lunsford notes, "In signaling to one questioner after another, hooks never once pointed her finger. Instead, she extended an open palm, issuing an invitation rather than a command (or an accusation)"(93). It sounds to me that even though hooks is very professional. She does not seem unapproachable at all. Teacher student relationship should be formal but inviting. To be formal is to be respectful and follow the established rules of college or a school. This does not include the customs and the strict fashion that once used to be the case. There should be mutual understanding of what is required from the student or the teacher in order to complete the course in a successful, understanding manner. Ms. Gillman, an English teacher I had once, was a great example of how a teacher should be. She set standards to be followed by her students, and she pushed students to follow those standards as much as they could. In addition, she

was willing to get to know those who were willing to put in the time to find out what she actually required whether it was for a term paper or a project. Although she seemed a little strict and had a very determined tone, she did not seem the kind of teacher who would refuse to set time aside for a discussion or a question that required a student's attention. She took her time in getting to know why a student did a project a certain way that did not necessarily fit her requirements. Thus, these are the kinds of teachers who make an impact on students like me, who carry on talking about them even after years have gone by. What also needs to be taken into consideration is the attitude of educators toward students who come from various backgrounds and vice versa. I do not see it appropriate for a teacher to turn to students and demean them for pursuing a goal that is unusual from their point of view. I specifically did not agree with a statement which Hart made "But for the time being, what these fads have done to the liberal-arts and social-sciences curriculum since around the 1968 is to clutter it with all sorts of nonsense, neoscience, and distraction"(128). This statement by Hart no doubt, sets him apart from those educators who do not feel the same way. For certain, there are so many students and educators who can oppose this view and consider it rather rude and debasing. Thus, the point is not what should students be pursuing, which is a different topic in itself, but rather the outlook on what should be the relationship between teachers and students? Getting to the last statement on the issue of student teacher relationships, it would be appropriate to say that teachers or professors should not be judgmental or negative because this certainly does not portray a positive image of educators or students for that matter. We have come a long way in this country where we have learned from researching the many ways a student learns or that behavior does not determine what a student can achieve academically. For research to have concluded "that men and women are indivisible in terms of their average overall intelligence" (Thomas 120) should not lead educators to conclude from old research that "at kindergarten and primary -school level, little girls out-perform the boys". There has been underlying issues as to why the latter has been the case, and is because "the vast majority of teachers are female". Furthermore, "Surveys by now-defunct Inner London Education Authority showed women teachers consistently praised girls more than boys, and equally consistently criticized the boys' behavior". Thus, "it has always been assumed that boys tend to speak up more forcefully than girls, and tend to be spoke to more frequently by teachers. If so, this reflects life in society as a whole" (121). It is clear that it's not that boys excel in certain subjects and girls excel in other, which allows many to think one is smarter than the other by choice (which is passing judgement), but the fact that the environment (society) and the educators have a direct affect on students. Hart in his essay of "How to Get a College Education" contradicted many of the ideas that have developed over the years as to what a student should study. It is obvious from his essay that he is not being an open-minded educator when he proposes that "recent intellectual fads have done extraordinary damage" (128) to what he calls the liberal arts and social sciences curriculum. In my opinion he is being judgmental and imposing what he believes the better case would be, which is to get rid of all 'studies' programs such as Black Studies, Latino or Chicano Studies. I wonder what he would be thinking as he is conversing with someone who has majored in Nicaraguan Lesbian poetry? As Mike Rose says, "We are in the middle of an extraordinary social experiment; the attempt to provide education for all members of a vast pluralistic democracy. "We'll need a pedagogy that encourages us to step back and consider the threat of the standard classroom and that shows us, having stepped back, how to step forward to invite a student across the boundaries of the powerful room"(118). It is exactly this type of ideology that separates Mike Rose from Jeffrey Hart and allows educators to view student-teacher relationships in a non-judgmental manner and accept the students for who they are and what they have

with them to share with the rest of the society. From my experience and from my perspective I would like to conclude by stating that educators should be professional, formal, inviting, not judgmental, and sensitive to the student's background and their needs. These factors are important for a student-teacher relationship to exist. If one or two factors are not present then clearly there is really no association between a student and a teacher, and students will come to perceive educators as obstacles they just need to overcome. Works Cited - Hart, Jeffrey. "How to Get a College Education." The Presence of Others. 3rd Edition. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York:Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 126-132. - Thomas, David. "The Mind of Man." The Presence of Others. 3rd Edition. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York:Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 120-125. - Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. 3rd Edition. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York:Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 105-119.

"What Should Be the Relationship Between Teachers and Students?." 123HelpMe.com. 15 Mar 2012 <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp? id=28423>.

What is the role of a Teacher? Schools are one of the first places where kids behavior and future educational success is shape. Teachers are carriers of either positive or negative behavior toward students. The reason why the first years of school are so critical is because kids learn the base of their educational life. I believe that teachers must love their career in order for them to pass enthusiasm, to assists, and to provide a warm environment to the students. In my opinion teachers are the second mothers for the students because students spend a lot of time with their teachers. At the same time. I believe a real teacher becomes through many years of training and experiences in the field. The same way, mothers are not born being great mothers but as their experiences with their kids expands they become experts on the field. We know that mothers look the best for their kids and one of their goals is to raise their kids so they can become professionals and pioneers for the society. Some of the mothers role toward kids is to give them care, love, respect, lead, instruct and to try to form a safe and pleasant environment at their homes. Are these attitudes of the mothers toward their kids related to what the role of the teacher should be with the students in the classroom? If not, what should be the role of the teachers then? I believe that a teacher is someone who becomes through many years of training and experiences in the field. I have not found a teacher who is an expert the first day of their profession. I believe that is urgent for everyone who is a teacher or is planning to become one to get prepare in the field the best they can. All teachers who get prepare will know how to set up rules in the classroom. Those kind of teachers will probably have less problems in their classroom because they will be able to control the classroom. There are all types of teachers some are better than others. Through my life I had some professors who were well prepared and some who were not. I had some teachers who just came into the class and stared teaching. They did not get involve with the students. I rarely talked to them. Those teachers did not showed any concern about what the students were feeling. One way for a

teacher to get students involve in the classroom is to ask them questions. I remembered there were some students at the class that were shy including me who did not have the chance to get involve in the class or to participate. Therefore, I believe the way students act depends on the teachers attitude. That is why I strongly recommend all teachers to invite the student to participate in the class. It is very important that teachers encourage students because students will benefit from it. A teacher carries a big responsibility in her classroom. One reason is that all students depend on her/him. Everything the teacher sys will have an impact on the students. If the teacher feels joy of feels anger, it will be spread among children because the attitudes of the teacher gets contagious. If the teacher laughs, students also laugh, why? Because teachers are responsible for the social behavior in the classroom. If something goes wrong the only responsible is the teacher even if it was not their foul. The teacher must create a warm and protective environment but at the same time professional. If students feel secure in the classroom the result will be shown in the academic progress. A good star could be a mutual trust with each student. Teaches have the responsibility to know his/her students in the classroom. Each day, the teachers show one of their attitudes that the students are unaware. Also, the students do the same in order for the teacher to get to know them, too. This is a good exercise to do because it benefits the whole class to break the ice. The first days most of the students are afraid of the teacher because they do not know how is the teachers personality. It will change until the point that the teacher and students discover to have common hobbies with each other. I think that school is a place where one goes to learn but I also believe that there should be times where fun is a necessity. That is why I think that a teacher should also have fun with the students. Kids learn faster when they feel attracted to an exciting lesson. Teachers must not forget that kids get born fast that is why creative lessons must be plane ahead. There should be interest in what people want to learn says Mr. Spayde in his article Learning the Key of Life (59-62). I believe a teacher should also be someone who guides student rather than someone who is a totalitarian in the classroom. The teacher needs to show respect toward the students so the students also respect the teacher. Teacher must not forget the s/he teaches to different students who brings different students who brings different traditions and customs because the students come from different backgrounds. One of the keys that is useful for teachers is to understand and accept the way students are acting the way Thomas says in his article The Mind of Man (120124) Therefore, teachers need to create a curriculum that guides students to a path of success. Consequently, they need to receive guiding depending on their students need. Sometimes, the teachers caring attitudes could have a long positive or negative influence on students. Students self-esteem could be lift up because it could create ambitions in their minds for future academic success. As Mike Rose explains in Lives in Boundaries that an educator must be an open mind person that must respect the students diversity and give love and caring attitudes toward students. I believe that is crucial to make students believe in themselves. One of the roles that a teacher carries is to encourage students in the issues that bother them about school in their personal life. It could make a big difference in the students life if he/she is lift up to keep going and to not let anything put us down. Psychologically, students could be affected if they have problems with their teachers. One of the results could be that students will avoid going to school. As professional teachers, we do not want any conflict with the students.

Sometimes, the behavior of students demonstrates that something is not going right. Therefore, I think teachers must pay attention to any suspicious sings that could bother the student. As teacher is our responsibility to find out what is going on with the students in the classroom. Kids deep in their hearts feel that teachers could help them but sometimes they are afraid to ask the teacher. This issue that I see almost everyday at the school were I work as a teachers assistance. The students prefer to talk to their friends about their problems and sometimes teachers are the last person to find out about the problem. Sometimes is the teachers foul that students do not seek his/her help because sometimes the teachers do not form a bound of communication. The teachers must let students know how she feels when students do not trust her maybe it would help students to change their minds about telling the teacher his/her problem. One of the teachers that I work with is one of these persons. Students do not seek for her help but they rather look for my help instead. I help them in everything I can but sometimes it gets really hard for me to know what to do. I believe that she is with her students. I do not see that she has a connection with the students. I believe, that teachers need to think about what are the students feeling. As teachers, one good way to do this is to look back in our school years and remembered what we went through when we were students. We will realize that most of the kids have problems with their teachers. I do not believe that there are students who have not encounter a problem with the teacher. Therefore, I do not think there is a perfect relationship between teachers and students because the relationship of teachers and students is perfect. Therefore, teachers priority should only be the benefit of the students feelings. Often, there is a debate about if a teacher should be a role model for students. Teachers are respect by society because they are view as knowledgeable about different subjects of school. I believe that even if teachers do not like to be point out as being role models I certainly think they are. Teachers have the qualities to be or become role models for students. Why? Because most teachers respect, love, care, instruct, and guide their students to become a successful person. Students view teacher as being wise therefore they look up for them. Students know that if they need something they just need to ask them. Kids learn from every lesson the teacher gives. Therefore, I believe that a teacher have an enormous responsibility on his/her actions. Even if teachers are considered to be role models I believe they still make mistakes. It is normal to make mistakes because is our nature of being humans. At the same time, students should not look to their teacher to copy them but rather to compare and to see the mistakes to not do them in our lives. Students should concentrate in doing their work and being proud of the way they are. All teachers have the key to provide a good environment for the students. The benefits of having a pleasant environment are for the teacher and students. But before that happens a teacher needs to be well prepared in order that the students receive the best treat. It is essential and crucial for teachers to be prepared because the first years of school are very important for the students. The future education success of the students depends on their first years. Its never late to star a bound of a relationship between teacher and students. Consequently, the contact of the students with the teacher is an everyday act. Even though, there will be some days in which students will have impropriate but other days where there will not be a problem at all. As humans, sometimes teachers do things that are not correct however we always have another chance to do it better. In conclusion, I strongly believe that teachers need to show respect, caring, become role models, make a pleasant environment, treat students right, instructs them but not be totalitarian, and guides them through the road of success. The only who gets the benefits are the students and sometimes it could be a negative or positive. Throughout my life I have learned valuable lessons from great teachers but I also had negative impact in my life as well.

Works Cited Rose, Mike. Lives on the Boundary. The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins Press, 1997, 97-110 Thomas, David. Lives on the Boundary. The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins Press, 1997, 120-125 Spayde, Jon. . Lives on the Boundary. The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins Press, 1997, 58-64 What is the Role of Teachers?. http://www.csun.edu. 15 March 2012.

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