Today, I got to get together with my family which invariably led me talking about my career and classroom adventures. Boasting about all my favorite parts of the job, how teaching is going well and everything is great in paradise. Until I share an anecdote about my teaching prowess and ability to reteach and redirect...
"I had some students that were on their phones at the beginning of class playing a game and I told them that they needed to put it away. 'You aren't taking my phone.' Student says in a deep maybe intimidating voice. 'Well I could but I won't have to because you will put it away. (Or something to this effect) I retorted. Once more he was defiant refusing the reteaching being offered. I came back with 'Out of respect for this classroom and the people you will stop playing your game.' (I sound really good in my memory). ' Let me finish this race' the student said acquiescing. Okay, I am going to hold you to that. (Takes off 10 hit points from the student in Classcraft.
As I tell this story to my mother, she begins a tirade about how students shouldn't be allowed their cell phones in class and she 'couldn't believe I allowed students to sit and play games in my class.' Storming out of my family time really upset I felt the need to leave, drive and destress with some good music.
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The tech part of my journey hasn't been as well chronicled but I want to share some key point that I have learned to focus on relationship building.
- Never take anything personally, people have bad days, bad moods or maybe just are caught up in something at the moment. Let it roll off of you and carry on.
- Be a source of positivity and show appreciation and admiration for people that you meet from the janitor to the CEO. How we treat people defines us more than the words we say.
- Never underestimate the power of compliments and flattery, offering compliments freely make people feel good about themselves when other sources of affirmation are hard to come by.
- Always try and to do the best you can to help, and if you can't help find someone that can. This way you can still be the go-to person for people and you still don't need all the answers.
- The most important... Listen. What people have to say, what they are looking for can be key in making a difference in building professional relationships with them as well as helping them go on their day satisfied with the help you could provide.
Have a great until next time and thanks to those of you that stumble across this page.
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