Talking+to+Your+Teacher

Talking to Your TeacherSubmitted by: Chris Opitz Grade: 5-6 Lesson: How to Talk to your Teacher Standard: 4A Student uses positive communication and social skills to interact effectively with others. 4C Student demonstrates the ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways.

Let’s face it, students inevitably get angry with their teachers. They inevitably feel their teacher is unfair. They inevitably disagree with us.

Knowing that all students will experience this at some time, some more than others, more often in those middle school years, I have found it effective to teach kids how to talk to their teachers, to even disagree with their teachers.

From day 1, one of my mantras to students is, “I will always listen to you and give you my time if you are polite to me. If you feel I am being unfair or you disagree with my decision, you may always ask to talk about it.” I explicitly let them know that often I won’t be able to talk right then, but I promise them to make time later.

In terms of building connections with kids and teaching them healthy ways to resolve conflict, we must give them some power with an avenue to pursue their ideas and an outlet to express their feelings. This is a powerful lesson, but we must be secure enough to allow students their voice. We must also be firm as we model for them that we care about their ideas, but that does not necessarily mean they will get their way.

Lesson Procedures:

I. Intro: Have you ever had a teacher who you felt was unfair? - Here’s where all the hands are waving wildly in the air. – discuss II. Whole group: So when something like this happens, what do you do? – discuss III. Introduce the mantra above – I will always listen to you when… IV. Role play a number of scenarios a. Student doesn’t like their assigned seat b. Student doesn’t think they should have to stay in at recess to make up work c. Student doesn’t like their new team d. Student feels like I pick on them Etc. etc. V. Have student’s practice asking to talk with me a. What should this look like? Sound like? When should they ask? Etc. VI. Demonstrate my response to them VII. Discuss and prep them on the following: a. I may or may not agree with them when we talk b. I am in charge, and you might not get your way, but I will consider your ideas VIII. Closing a. Student questions and concerns (inevitably they want to know, “Will we get in trouble if we disagree with you?”)

• We put ourselves out there when we do this, but we build healthy relationships and provide students with conflict resolution skills. • Most importantly, kids feel more connected to their classroom, their teacher, and their school because they have a voice.