As we begin our journey in the confusing age of learning, we may come to underestimate the role that teachers have in our lives. They are people who are qualified to help us understand the wide variety of information that’s thrown at us, people who are instrumental to our development as scholars and inquisitors. And yet, for much of history, the relationship between students and teachers has been distant, merely professional: The teacher reads the textbook, the student answers the quizzes. Nowadays, that dynamic has been changing. Our writers Leti, Pim, and Biew Biew interviewed teachers from 3 different international schools, together with their opinions on the development of genuine teacher-student relationships.
Interviewees:
Ms. Katie Chatterton, an English teacher from Bangkok Patana School
Ms. Jessica Ann Judd, an Art teacher from Shrewsbury International School
Mr. Trenton Mendelson, an English teacher from Ruamrudee International School
Questions:
Do you think that the relationships between teachers and students have changed over time? How so?
Ms. Katie: I believe that relationships have changed and have become more informal. These sorts of relationships leave a meaningful impact on student behavior. But sometimes, I’ll have students who I have to be a bit strict with. In consequence, this will create more of a distance between me and the student.
Ms. Jessica: I think the way that teachers are allowed to respond to different students’ needs has changed dramatically over the years. We are now encouraged to take more of a focus on the wellbeing of our students which is essential in helping them to grow in relation to their confidence and risk taking within their subjects. Due to this, we teachers are able to understand the individual in the class rather than teaching to the whole class.
Mr. Trenton: Certainly! I’m sure there’s a cultural component to it, but in the past I think there was a gap between teacher and student, whereby the teacher had an obligation to either introduce or teach the material that was necessary for whatever the subject was, but now I think there’s more of a sense that teachers try to connect with students through the things that students enjoy. For English, I look at chances where there’s a song or a music video in order to help students develop their skills. I think now we’re really starting to understand the benefits of connecting to student interests, helping them see the real world applications of whatever our subject could be.
Do you think it’s important to develop close relationships with your students?
Ms. Katie: Yes! It’s more important to develop a trusting relationship rather than merely a student relationship because when students are honest with themselves and their teacher, this creates a stronger connection between the two.
Ms. Jessica: I feel it is essential to build solid, trusting, respectful relationships with the students you teach but also for them to feel the same about you as their teacher. This allows ideas to be discussed and problems to be dealt with before they turn into anything too big.
Mr: Trenton: I think so, because one of the things that got me into teaching were teachers who either took personal interest in my work or who introduced things to me that I found interesting. And when I first started thinking about teaching, I reflected on the teachers who really saw me and made me feel valued. And I thought, “ I would like to be the one who creates that feeling for another person”. So I think emphasizing the connection between student and teacher, at least for me, makes it more memorable, makes me care more about the subject, and I think that hopefully I’m trying to do that same thing.
What do you think makes a student memorable? (It can’t just be the smartest student every time!)
Ms. Katie: Lot’s of things. When a student has been challenging, when a student has done perfectly well while being challenged and of course has a good sense of humor.
Ms. Jessica: For me, students that stay in my memory are the ones that challenge the ‘norm’ with their ideas. Students that push boundaries often result in the most exciting projects. Projects that show personality and commitment and a growth in individual skills are also memorable.
Mr: Trenton: For me, what makes them memorable… It’s certainly their contributions to class, but it sometimes depends on the class. It’s a lot about what students discover, either what I did or didn’t know, or had or hadn’t seen, through that discovery, through that discussion, I am really able to remember some of those students. I also think there’s a memorability factor to a student’s personality. Some people walk in and just light up the whole room. Or maybe there’s others who I can really get them to see something, or talk about something when they normally don’t, and those moments are really memorable as well.
Is there such a thing as a favourite student?
Ms. Katie: I think there shouldn’t be a favourite student, but of course, in teaching, all of us will have more difficulties with some students and there will be times when a particular student is quite easy to teach. That, in my opinion, could make them favourable.
Ms. Jessica: Personally for me I decided from the start of my career never to have favourites. I feel that all students have the possibility to be the ‘favourite’ and that it’s my job to try and get that out and recognised when in the art room.
Mr: Trenton: I have a hard time with the word “favourite”, because it’s more like “I know this student is going to produce really high quality work, make meaningful class contributions” and for me, I really enjoy that, it’s a favourite in that way. But maybe there’s other students; their work isn’t as good, but they’re just respectful and kind, they get along with their classmates, and I see those qualities as favourable as well. But there aren’t any sort of set factors that go into it.
How do you feel about teaching students from a different culture? Do differences in students’ culture impact your teaching methods?
Ms. Katie: I quite like it, it’s a fun experience, however it does impact the way I teach a bit. I like it because I get to learn about different cultures and my students bring in fresh new perspectives every time. It does impact my teaching a little since I am more aware of the materials that I use and where they are from.
Ms. Jessica: I’m not so sure if ‘culture’ has an impact on my teaching methods. I believe it’s more a case of how a student has been taught to recognise the importance of education and respect, no matter the culture.
Mr: Trenton: I love it. It’s really fun to compare cultures with students, like “this is how a holiday or tradition in my country is, how is it in yours?”. Over the years, I’ve learned so much about Chinese and Thai language, culture from students as well as fellow teachers. It’s an exchange of stories, travels, constantly having something to offer one another.
The role of a teacher is to not only give information, but to make learning meaningful. How do you personally make learning meaningful for your students?
Ms. Katie: By being genuine, honest and enjoying what the teacher teaches, most importantly get to know the students and make it personal.
Ms. Jessica: I’d like to think that I engage students by making them feel they can create work that is out of their comfort zone. It’s important to create an atmosphere that flows on mutual respect and encouragement. Passing on information is only a part of teaching. Using a variety of methods to explain tasks, trying to challenge and stretch the students own preconceptions of what art is and the methods/processes used is the fun bit. I like to get students to learn through action not simply by me talking. Hands-on experiences and the encouragement to ‘get messy’ is what helps the creativity to develop into meaningful responses and exciting ideas.
Mr. Trenton: Back when I was in school, I used to wonder “What’s the purpose of all this stuff that I’m learning? When am I going to use it?”. So now, as my students are having the same thoughts when they’re reading a novel in my class, I want to be ready to respond to that question. Usually it’s through connecting the text that we’re reading to a lesson that we can apply to our own lives. How can a play, or a book, or even a song, teach us about truth, honesty, and human nature? And I try to answer these questions as best I can. Through these connections, I hope that my students can push past the initial boredom of the book and think about how it matters to their lives.
Interviewed by:
— Writer Panawee Sakulwannadee (Biew Biew) can be reached at psakulwannadee@gmail.com. Follow her on instagram @biew_2808
— Writer Letizia Ravizza (Leti) can be reached at [email].
Follow her on Instagram or Facebook .
— Writer Pakwan Nisapakulthorn (Pim) can be reached at [email].
Follow her on Instagram or Facebook .
Compiled by:
Writer Panawee Sakulwannadee (Biew Biew) can be reached at psakulwannadee@gmail.com. Follow her on instagram (biew_2808)
Edited by: Rie Aiyama
— Editor Rie Aiyama can be reached at riai23@patana.ac.th.
Follow her on Instagram @rieaiyama
