Teachers who CARE

The Simple, 

Hard Truth About Teaching

James Stronge who writes about effective teaching in his book.  Strong says research tells us the following:

*These are my favorite lines that Strong says about caring teachers.*

• Students consistently want teachers who respect them, listen to them, show empathy towards them, help them work out their problems, and become human by sharing their own lives and ideas with their students.
• Caring teachers who create relationships with their students enhance student learning.
• effective teachers consistently emphasize that their love for their students is a key element in success
• Teachers who create a warm and supportive classroom environment tend to be more effective with all students.
• Caring teachers intentionally develop awareness of their students' cultures outside of school.

Here are some of my favorite quotes about caring teachers:

If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important.

-Barbara Colorose 

Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops.

Henry Brooks Adams

Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Anonymous

Children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them makes an impression.

- Haim Ginott                                         

It all comes down to caring, Our instruction will be much more meaningful if our students know that we care.  Our students are not going to remember the math lessons that we taught, they aren't going to remember the writing lessons that you teach, BUT they are going to remember how you cared about them individually.  Your students will remember that you cared about them, and you cared about their success.