What does conditional positive regard look like in practice?
Unconditional positive regard means that, “I care about you. You have value. You don’t have to do anything to prove it to me, and nothing’s going to change my mind.” It is about building relationships with students through kindness and understanding. It means getting to know your students and valuing their interests and values. I often use the phrase, “listen with your eyes, ears, and heart,” in my classroom. This sets the tone that we listen to others to understand without judgement. This builds a mutually respectful environment where students are not afraid to make mistakes because we offer encouragement when that happens and that they are valued for who they are and not just for what they achieve.
Consider a time when you went out of your way to connect with a student. What did you have to do? What were the outcomes?
I think it is very important to build connections with every student in the classroom. I pay close attention to students' interests and values and use those as ways to build relationships with my students. Last year, I had two students who played on the same baseball team, and I made it a point to support them by attending one of their games. They were so excited and proud to share that part of their lives with me, and it was wonderful to see their hard work and teamwork. Taking the time to show interest in something they loved really strengthened our relationship at school and helped build even more trust and connection.
Unconditional positive regard means that, “I care about you. You have value. You don’t have to do anything to prove it to me, and nothing’s going to change my mind.” It is about building relationships with students through kindness and understanding. It means getting to know your students and valuing their interests and values. I often use the phrase, “listen with your eyes, ears, and heart,” in my classroom. This sets the tone that we listen to others to understand without judgement. This builds a mutually respectful environment where students are not afraid to make mistakes because we offer encouragement when that happens and that they are valued for who they are and not just for what they achieve.
Consider a time when you went out of your way to connect with a student. What did you have to do? What were the outcomes?
I think it is very important to build connections with every student in the classroom. I pay close attention to students' interests and values and use those as ways to build relationships with my students. Last year, I had two students who played on the same baseball team, and I made it a point to support them by attending one of their games. They were so excited and proud to share that part of their lives with me, and it was wonderful to see their hard work and teamwork. Taking the time to show interest in something they loved really strengthened our relationship at school and helped build even more trust and connection.