All Behavior is Communication: 12 Easy Ways to Build Connections with Your Students

Click the play bar below to listen to this week's show now:

Show Notes:

Teachers in my Classroom Management Club always ask for strategies to help handle student behaviors, which is why classroom management is such a hot topic on this podcast. While I will continue to provide you with new tips you can use in your classroom, in today’s episode, I want to reiterate a perspective that will change how you address behavior issues with your students.

Although student behaviors can be challenging, it’s important to remember that all behavior is communication. Since students are trying to tell us something, it’s our job as educators to figure out what that something is. It all starts with building strong connections with your students. We're going to talk about how to build these relationships in today's episode.

After addressing ways that you can can better understand behavior as communication, I dive into strategies you can use that help build connections. Since having positive relationships with your students is the foundation of a strong classroom management plan, each of the 12 practical and easy strategies I share give you opportunities to develop rapport with your students and cultivate a positive and inclusive classroom culture. 

I understand that students misbehaving and being disruptive can be difficult, but knowing that all behavior is communication allows for empathy from teachers. Being curious about the behavior and taking time to understand the reasoning behind it will help you foster more positive relationships and consistently show your students that you care about them not just as learners but as tiny humans.

Inside this week's show, you'll learn:

• Why behavior is communication for students and how building relationships helps improve their behavior.
• Research that supports building connections and the positive impact it has on students’ engagement and participation.
• 12 practical and easy strategies teachers can implement and how they create deeper relationships with students.
• Connections are the foundation of a strong classroom management plan and ways to use that knowledge in your classroom.
• Why understanding behavior doesn’t mean you should tolerate misbehaviors, but learn to be curious before furious.

Links & resources mentioned inside this episode: 

• Free Masterclass - Your 5-Step Classroom Management Reset
• “Teacher-Student Relationships: Impact of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports”
• “The Key to Effective Classroom Management”
• “The Importance of Strong Relationships Between Teachers & Students”
• Grab a copy of my book, Dear New Teacher, Here's Exactly What to Do: Your 5-Step R.E.A.D.Y. for School Roadmap for Elementary Classrooms
• Follow Dr. Lori on Instagram
• Follow Dr. Lori on Facebook
• Follow Beginning Teacher Talk on TikTok

I hope this information is helpful as you prepare for your first, second, or third year of teaching. Until next time, remember, just because you're a beginning elementary teacher, there's no need for you to struggle like one.

💛 Lori

Dr. Lori Friesen | Beginning Teacher Mentor

Creator of the R.E.A.D.Y. for School Academy and The Classroom Management Club, Dr. Lori Friesen has mentored thousands of beginning teachers across the country through her workshops and courses. Host of the popular podcast Beginning Teacher Talk and author of Dear New Teacher, Here's Exactly What to Do, Dr. Lori is dedicated to serving educators and inspiring learners. Learn more at drlorifriesen.com.

Want to listen on a different platform? Here are the links:

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts.

Click here to listen on Spotify.

Click here to listen on YouTube.

Click here to listen on iHeart Radio.

Click here to listen on Audible.

Related episodes you might enjoy:

• New Teacher Training Series Part Four: 4 Ways to Prevent Challenging Behavior in Your Elementary Classroom
• Handling Challenging Behaviors with Confidence
• How to Build Relationships with Your Students in the First Weeks of School

Follow:

Are you following my podcast? I release fresh, new content every single week and I don't want you to miss out! 💛  Click here to follow on Apple Podcasts.

Leave a Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you are loving the podcast, I would be so grateful if you would leave me a review over on Apple Podcasts or on Audible. Each time you leave a review, Apple Podcasts or Audible recommends my podcast to other new teachers so they feel a little less alone as they navigate their first few years of teaching. 

To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know how this podcast is helping you inside your classroom!

To leave a review on Audible, just click here. Under "More Options" you can select "Write a review." I so appreciate your support in helping me get the word out to new teachers around the world.