Rapport building in the Classroom
...u. Developing rapport with an individual involves creating an environment of understanding and mutual respect. This in turn will allow them to be open to the options or advice that you offer them in challenging situations. If I were to say something or do something, which makes a person uncomfortable, I am trying to get them to alter their behaviour. The end result of this action is that I am creating an obstacle for the student and not in fact helping them. When creating a relationship built on a foundation of strong rapport it is very important that you employ active listening the process. Active listening involves encouraging the person to express him or herself and reflecting on the things, which they are saying. When listening to the individual, the feedback given to them should be focused on their behaviour, using your observations while avoiding any assumptions or exaggerations. Humour can be used to diffuse a difficult situation. Pollack states, “When teachers confront a negative student with humour, they often find that this use of humour is an effective way to diffuse the student's anger and hostility.” You should explore reasonable methods, which focus only on solutions that would value the recipient. This is an area that I would consider being one of my strengths. I have always been able to actively listen to people, use humour to solve a problem as well as pick up on non-verbal cues. Non-verbal cues and communication are another aspect of active listening which help in strengthening rapport with an individual. Responses to non-verbal cues should always be appropriate and reasonable when dealing with uncivil behaviour. Staying in an upset persons site line, maintaining an open stance and soft eye contact are all part of positive non-verbal communication. Last year I had just finished a series of parent /teacher interviews when a parent entered my room without an appointment. She began accusing me of disliking her son, as he had never received a B in his class before. I had never met this particular parent before and was having trouble placing which student she might be referring to. I was teaching English, Art, PE, Math, and running the gifted program in the school, she could have been talking about one of over a hundred students. I continued to listen to her as well as watch her physical movements. I positioned myself behind my interview table and sat down and motioned for her to do the same, all the while allowing her to release most of her frustration. After she finished I introduced myself and extended my hand. She told me her name, which allowed me to determine the student she was talking about and I told her that I was very pleased that she had come to see me. I empathised with her, and explained that I knew exactly how her son felt. I told her that when I was in grade 8 I received my first C+ ever in PE for not participating fully. After a few minutes of discussion she left my room not only satisfied, but with a clear understanding of how her son could achieve a higher letter grade. An aspect of building rapport that I need to work on is my physical stance. Because the woman that entered my room was aggressive I automatically was aware of my physical stature. When I am working with a rude student I tend to establish very authoritative, closed stances. I didn’t do this during my practicum training probably because I completed all training in a primary classroom and the children were very small. I am teaching grade 8 and find that the uncivil students always want to debate their behaviour. I often cross my arms while listening (although I am listening), or place my hands on my hips...