Rapport: Establishing a sense of comfort or friendship among the teacher and her students. My mentor teacher does a great job of welcoming in her student, as she's aware of most of their situations at home. I find her explaining, "They only speak Chinese at home; there's a language barrier." Or "Her parents can't help her with her homework." It's evident that my mentor teacher is there for all of them, ready to talk to them if they need anything, and is always prepared to protect them if there's a malfunction at home. As a former student myself, I know she depends on rapport to warm her classroom. When I was in her class, she was very supportive of my swimming, once she even drove all the way down to OU to watch me swim in my championship meet! As a child, that meant so much to me, and I will cherish those moments with her for years to come, and I know all of her other students will. Back in the classroom, she has each student bring in several pictures of themselves, or of their families, so they'll feel comfortable with her. This also encourages them to open up their hearts to my mentor, and feel comfortable in the classroom. Additionally, she hangs up the student's art work in the hallway to share a sense of trust and pride among her students and herself. It's amazing to watch those students open up to her with pride and happiness.
The Map of the Learning WorldAlong with me as your tour guide, you'll also find I've added my daily journal entries, or blogs, to help guide you through the learning world. Feel free to check them out! Archives
May 2016
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