Meaningful interaction
On the whole, teachers go into teaching to work with students and have an impact on student lives. Only through meaningful interaction with students on a daily basis can that goal be accomplished. As a secondary outcome, although some would argue the primary outcome, it is the meaningful interaction with the students that creates student buy-in for the learning at hand. Without that personal connection, students are unlikely to want to engage in the learning and worse may find little relevance. In The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching, the authors cite a study from Hamre and Pianta asserting that "results were striking. After just one year, the students with highly supportive teachers demonstrated achievement and student–teacher relationships on par with their low-risk peers. On the other hand, at-risk students in classrooms with low levels of teacher support demonstrated not only low achievement but also more conflict with their teachers" (Goodwin & Hubbell, 2013). Clearly, our most at-risk students are the ones who need a caring, supportive, and demanding teacher more than ever before. Crafting that all important "teacher persona" where you become a real-person to the kids is critical when raising expectations.
Richard Milner from Vanderbilt College has put together 5 Easy Ways to Connect with Students which are particularly useful.
Richard Milner from Vanderbilt College has put together 5 Easy Ways to Connect with Students which are particularly useful.