What makes you a successful educator; Part 2 by Ed Lloyd

I enjoy success as an educator because I have an unwavering focus to create an environment where students want to learn. Most of us have heard of the saying “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it” In my classroom I say that you not only can lead the horse to water, you can also influence him or her to want to drink it. My classroom atmosphere is built upon Open Communication, Belief in People, and Consistent Behavior. Imagine that each of these in a separate circle, and then all of the three circles overlap into an open circle. The space in that open circle is occupied by the word TRUST. This is what I use to build a relationship, a rapport with each student I have. The word Rapport, is French for “oneness”. This is the first thing I begin with on the very first day of the school year. I continue and maintain these relationships with my students throughout the year. Without the word trust involved, the other three circles will not hold together. I use this with the highest sense of urgency imaginable. Each one of these will be explained in detail in the next entry. In terms of “Getting Used to Being Successful”, this is where I start, while maintaining this on an ongoing basis.