Message from Mark Ruiz, Fifth Grade Teacher

Knowing your Students

"He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace." Proverbs 11:12

Why does a person despise his neighbor? He lacks wisdom and understanding of his neighbor. Lack of knowledge about another often leads to unwise and unjust criticism.

A wise teacher knows his/her students. They don’t just know their names, but also knows them. The teacher knows their home life, knows their strengths and weaknesses, the teacher also knows their likes and dislikes, and he/she knows their capabilities and those areas in which they struggle. This knowledge causes the teacher to refrain from criticism or unrealistic expectations.

The unwise teacher may know these facts, but doesn’t take them into account when dealing with the student. Though the teacher may only despise the ways of the student, the student may think the teacher despises him.

Do you know the background of your students--- their home situations ( are the parents unsaved, is she/he being raised by grandparents, are the parents divorced)? Do you know their hot buttons that which will encourage them to give 100%? Do you relate to their interests ( sports, cars, art, music, etc.) and encourage them, and do you use these as illustrations in teaching? Do you seek to understand why they are always late, why they don’t do their homework, or why their mind wanders in class? Perhaps a family fight the night before kept them up until midnight.

It's easy to despise problem students, but the wise teacher will take the time to get to know and understand why they behave as they do.