How to go beyond ‘how are you?’
Everyone knows that connecting with students is crucial to successful learning outcomes. Quality relationships begin to develop with simple conversations, so changing your approach to those conversations could mean gaining lifelong connections with your students.
Here are our favorite question stems, and tips, to get you chatting in no time.
“Can you tell me about your hobbies?”
Perhaps you both are interested in art or football, or perhaps you don’t even know. Once you’ve found a similarity, compare and contrast with them. Doing this can boost your credibility.
What’s new in your world?
This can open the door to some serious conversations, maybe even topics you aren’t prepared for. A student might come right out and say, “I got a new bike,” or they might turn around and say “my parents are getting divorced.” Either way, handling their answer appropriately will help you earn their trust.
"Where do you see yourself after you graduate high school?”
This question can give you an idea of what students are working toward, the goals they are trying to achieve, and the careers they find interesting. Once you ask this question, you can use their interests to make an effort toward real-world instruction that they will appreciate and respond to.
“What is your biggest achievement this school year?”
We can’t tell you how many times students need help identifying something that makes them successful. It’s our job as educators to give them the power to believe they can do hard things and anything is possible.