During this heart month, I would like to share some thoughts about teacher student relationships. I was recently made aware of a survey that was taken by researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo a number of years ago, the survey examined high school students perceptions of their teachers and classes. The researchers asked juniors and seniors in 18 high schools across the nation to write essays on various aspects of their educational experience.
What were the likes and dislikes? More than 68% of the comments were directly concerned with the student teacher relationship. Students admired teachers who were informal, warm, fair, dedicated, competent, honest, curious, witty, understanding, and lively, and they wanted teachers to respect them as individuals and adults. Those teachers who did nothing more than lecture a whole period were found to be boring and monotonous by the students who favored a more varied teaching style that might include audio visual aids outside readings, class projects, and most importantly, discussions. I could not help but think, what would researchers find now in this 21st century? The sample that the researchers used was neither random nor stratified, but they believed the responses are representative enough to permit generalizations about the American students in that era.
I also found in my files "Nine Rules for Teachers" in 1872 - there were only nine, not ten, but they were commanded by the administration. 21st century teachers may find them quite interesting. 1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys. 2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day's session. 3. Make your pens carefully. You may Whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils. 4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly. 5. After 10 hours in school, teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books. 6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed. 7. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit, declining years so that he will not become a burden to society. 8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool halls or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity and honesty. 9. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of 25 cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.
Have a great day!
Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Dr Luetta G Werner
Published in the Marion Record February 17th, 2000
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Till next time,
Trina