Be open with your students and make that openness a two-way street. Know all their names as quickly as you can and prove that you know them by using their names--in the hallway as well as in the classroom. Share parts of your own life so they feel comfortable sharing parts of theirs.

I found that each time I shared something about my own life, different students, depending upon what I shared, became more at ease with me--and with that ease comes trust.

How do students know they can trust you? I remember once hearing one student say to another, "Mrs. Hancock doesn't lie." How did he know that? How would they know that about you? From your words and your actions. Yes, build trust and build it from Day One.

Our children spend a great deal of time with their teachers. I think this article outlines clear and concise instructions on how to gain trust and how to have more control over the classroom. online-casino

I wish more of us could view ourselves from the eyes of our students. We complain sometimes when a student doesn't complete an overnight homework assignment because they had a basketball game the night before with a 90 minute drive to get there and another to return home. Another had to work all evening. Some teachers don't see those as "good" excuses. Yet when they don't return graded assignments the next day as promised, it's because "I have a life outside of school! I had to...." fill in the blank. We must remember that students have lives too and we HAVE to model what we expect. As you said, that trust once lost is very difficult to regain!

I finally joined Facebook last summer and was amazed by the number of my students who have "friended" me! I think I'm close to 200! I check every night and try to comment on their posts that they think they're getting a cold, they had a terrible practice, they won their game, they got a high school on Bejeweled Blitz! I at least give them a quick
"Like" or "sorry!" as appropriate. I never comment on anything that seems to be personal! The next morning I might mention something I saw and they notice me noticing. One of my star students was very quiet and mopey one morning. If I'd not seen the night before that her brother had been in and out of the hospital several times the day before with severe asthma attacks, I would never have guessed the reason for state. We are not the friends of our students, but we need to be friendly!

I read an idea in a parenting book the other day that I thought was really on point: we should talk to kids with the same level of respect that we'd use for our spouse, our religious leader, or our grandfather. When you think about it, there is really no reason to speak to kids more disrespectfully than any of these other important people! Can you imagine if the pastor from your church came over for dinner and spilled his milk? You would never say "I KNEW that was going to happen! I wish you could be responsible for just ONE second! Clean it up NOW!" Plus, this is a GREAT way to model how you expect students to talk to YOU, and each other! I am a school counselor, and am always amazed at how quickly kids, even the youngest ones, can sniff out genuine and authentic respect.

After 30 plus years in the classroom I know that respect must be earned. My students must first realize that I respect them as students and individuals who have importance in my classroom. So many of our students daily deal with hardships that may sometimes make school appear to be inconsequential in the daily scheme of their lives. All students are gold, we just have to mine a bit deeper with some. I teach for very selfish reasons.... they help me remain young in my thoughts and attitudes, and teaching allows me to feel that I am playing a role in their development as responsible adults. I rejoice over their accomplishments and achievements and try to communicate how much pride I feel. Jessie Stuart said,"To teach is to touch a life." Daily I attempt to incorporate that attitude into my classroom.

Your comments about Facebook caught my attention - about a month ago our administration "cautioned" us about being on Facebook and we "should not respond to students or former students at all" - as I was not on Facebook at the time, I heeded the advice. But this week a friend invited me to join Facebook and I did - with the administrator's comments nagging at the back of my mind. I did set preferences. Like you, I'm amazed at how many of my students and former students have friended me. Like you, it spoke to me of the level of trust I have with my students. I am cautious about how I reply but so often our students simply want to know that we value them and care about their lives both in and out of school.

I disagree. In the army, they teach recruits "you may not like the man but you must respect the rank". I believe that is a good model to follow. Respect should be given to all people regardless of whether or not it is deserved. What must be earned is trust hich then develops into a relationship. While I do not have your years of experience, this is what I have learned in my teaching experience.

I make sure my students treat me and each other with respect. Trust and a relationship develop out of the observance of this mutual respect, even when it is not necessarily deserved. When kids understand that even when they are horribly behaved, you will still treat them with respect, you gain their trust and develop a relationship with them. This provides a standard of behavior as an example for them to follow.

In my first year of teaching, I was given the advice "rules without a relationship lead to rebellion". This is absolutely the truth. This article gives a very clear step by step plan to ensure developing trust from your students. This in turn will help develop a relationship with most students. Everybody benefits.

I am in complete agreement with the advice given in the Parenting magazine. I tell my parents ( I run a small preschool( would you say to a friend at lunch who wasn't quite finished or was looking for something in her purse, "if you don't hurry I am leaving without you!" or start counting 1 2 3 because you think she is taking too long gathering herself to leave? Yet parents talk to their kids that way if their child is taking too long to finish or is interested in looking at something, It is very disrespectful, there is no wonder why children as they grow up have a hard time respecting their parents. I believe that the "Golden Rule" applies to Children, ALSO!!! Pass it on!!!

Im a Pre-service teacher and this is my first time blogging. this article was great information that i can really use in my classroom. Trust is a huge favor and I have seen it where the teachers are the only ones they can trust because at home there is lack of it. being real and open to your student is a great way to gain their trust, just dont break it. along with the respect. and that goes along with them to make them understand that they have to earn trust and respect and it can be easily taking away by the action they choose to do. goes hand and hand with the teacher. i do plan to take with me some of the info in this to use to help me better understand my students and for them to better understand me. great bloogs everyone