Issue 12: Supportive Communication
Research shows...
Adolescents perceive caring teachers as those who:
- Have democratic interaction styles.
- Develop expectations for student behavior in light of individual differences.
- Model a "caring" attitude toward their own work.
- Provide constructive feedback.
The level of motivation exerted by students is related to the degree of caring that they perceive in their teachers, lending support to the adage "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." The level of support students believe they receive from their teachers is related to students' amount of interest in the subject and intention to comply with classroom rules and norms.*
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This issue focuses on SUPPORTIVE COMMUNICATION in the classroom.
Tips
One powerful way you can communicate your support to students is by using these four verbal skills:
Positive Phrasing
This skill involves looking at the glass half-full. There are two steps to positive phrasing: (1) think positively, and (2) focus on what you want your students to know.
For example, instead of "Stop being so noisy," you can say, "Class, let's walk down the corridor quietly."
Empathy Statement
Empathy statements can work well for responding to a situation arising from a student's emotions. There are two steps: (1) empathize with your student's feelings, and (2) refocus your student's attention by pointing to a past or future success or leading the student in an alternative direction.
For example, "Yes, irregular verbs do frustrate many students. It is possible to learn them as well as you learned regular verbs."
Supporting Statement
This skill is useful when responding to a student's intellectual viewpoint rather than his or her feelings. In a supporting statement, you can: (1) acknowledge your student's opinion as valid, and (2) introduce additional information.
For example, if a student says "I don't think we should have to take four years of English," you can respond with: "A lot of students think as you do. Because communication and thinking are so closely tied to English, the state mandates four years."
Approval Statement
Approval statements deal most closely with students' self-esteem. The key to an effective approval statement is using positive adjectives to describe qualities or behaviors a student values.
For example, "Your report is well-researched and thorough, Marie," or "Vincent, your painting is colorful and well-balanced."
Using these four verbal skills can create a positive classroom environment where students feel safe, observe classroom rules more readily, and can learn more effectively. Supportive statements, when delivered in a respectful intonation and accompanied by congruent body language, really show your students how much you care.
The above concepts are based on the PLS graduate course, Project TEACH (Teacher Effectiveness and Classroom Handling)™.
References:
*Wentzel, K.R. (1997). Student motivation in middle school: The role of perceived pedagogical caring. Journal of Educational Psychology. 89, , 411-419.
*Wentzel, K.R. (1998). Social support and adjustment in middle school: The role of parents, teachers, and peers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90, , 202-209.
Related Graduate Course
Building Communication and Teamwork in the Classroom®
Reach a new level of positive communication through an emotionally engaging classroom where students are connected to school, to learning, and to improved relationships with their teachers and peers. Make a difference in students’ lives when each school day is impacted by the effective teacher-leadership strategies you will learn in this course.
Building Communication and Teamwork in the Classroom®
