Ways a Teacher Can Be Supportive Of Students
When you become a teacher, you do more than just present information for students to learn, and then test how much they have learned. Most people become a teacher because they have a love of children, and it allows them to express their inner self, as a person born to teach.
So having become a teacher you do not just lecture. You develop a bond with your students, and this is one of the joys of the profession. You work with your group of students throughout the course of a year and share their successes with them. In addition, you become their friend, protector, and confidant, and have a special relationship with them and their families, and the trust and affection you receive is something to cherish for years to come even after they have left your classroom.
This teacher-student bond may allow you to see a child who needs to be loved and nurtured where others might see a child who behaves violently and has earrings and tattoos, and hangs around with a gang. This bond can be responsible for a child being turned around, ceasing unpleasant behavior and beginning to develop into a productive person as they grow up, thanks to that one teacher.
Another way in which you can go to bat for one of your students is if you realize that a child is gifted, that you make an effort to convince the school's administration to arrange extended learning opportunities for him or her, which will allow their gifts to be developed. Imagine the gift you have given that child for life, when that gift blossoms into a talent! This is a very special wonder that you can have a significant role in if you become a teacher.
The students you teach have been put into your care, and in turn require a serious commitment to them on your part. None of those children have a lower value than the rest, and none of them should be given up on. If one of them gets into trouble, then you as their teacher can show your commitment to them and your profession by helping, and possibly saving their educational career. Again, a very rewarding experience for those who choose to become a teacher.
However, there may also be some very challenging times in your teacher-student relationships, and drastic measures may be needed to address the issues. When it may be tempting to take steps toward expelling an uncooperative or overly rebellious student, keep in mind that being expelled is a very serious matter for a child, who will then carry that stigma into the world. This is the last thing you want for one of your students, and before resorting to such measures, you may try to get them placed in a different school or arrange for tutoring for a while, or perhaps home schooling until things improve, so that their education does not suffer.
In summary, when you become a teacher you occupy a place of special privilege, where trust and caring typically exist between you and each student. By going to bat for your students when they need you, you protect that relationship, and do the best for them and for their future, and indirectly for your own as well.
