Summary
Every year teachers will meet new groups of students. Every class will be a unique combination of individuals. They will vary by many factors related to diversity. They will have different temperaments and learning styles. Their motivation levels won’t all be the same. Some will have experienced many childhood traumas, while some will have experienced few or none. Their experience and maturity in relation to social emotional learning will differ as well. However, one thing will remain constant. Your students will do best in a positive environment where mutual respect is fostered. Strong teacher-student relationships are the cornerstone of these classrooms. Having knowledge about yourself, child development and differentiated instruction will help you to have a greater understanding of your students. You will be learning this as you move forward in your education. What you cannot be taught is to care about forging these relationships in the first place. That must already be a part of who you are.
Additional Resources:
Trauma and Social Emotional Learning
- 10 Things About Childhood Trauma Every Teacher Needs to Know (STARR Commonwealth)
- A great resource for teachers regarding trauma is the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators which can be found and downloaded here:
- NYSED Social Emotional Benchmarks:
- NYSED Social Emotional Learning Information:
- Article on trauma informed practices and SEL:
Home School Relationships
- National Parent Teacher Association, PTA National Standards for family-school partnerships
- National Association for the Education of Young Children on Engaging Families
- Six Strategies from Montessori Educators
- Strategies from TESOL International Association
- https://www.tesol.org/blog/posts/10-tips-on-strengthening-home-school-partnerships-through-effective-family-engagement/
- Fostering the Home-School Relationship
- For the School Psychologist, NASP position statement on home school collaboration
