Rapport building with students ensures fruitful teaching-learning situation­­­

Being close to the students and developing friendly relation with them is the pre-condition of effective teaching

Rapport building with the learners is an essential tool and important technique to create an environment where teachers feel easy to teach and students can receive what the teachers deliver. It is the development of a positive relation between the teacher and the students. Generally rapport is characterized by positive thoughts and feelings of closeness. Perceptions of bonding lead to favorable interactions between the teachers and learners. Though rapport building sometimes is ignored and just the theme of the subject is given importance, actually it does not reach the learners well when there lies a gap of relationship. Being close to the students and developing friendly relation with them is the pre-condition of effective teaching.    Students accrue potential benefits such as more positive attitude towards the course and the teacher, increased motivation, and even higher grades from rapport.  

Teachers also see improved class participation and positive ratings of instruction. Rapport increases students’ enjoyment of the teacher and subject matter; motivates them to come to class more often, and to pay more attention in class. Thus, rapport seems to facilitate both student motivation for learning and their enjoyment of the course, and enhances student receptivity to what is being taught. 
How a teacher can build rapport with her students? S/he should show a sense of humor and make her available to the students before, after and outside the classroom as well. They should encourage the learners to discuss the things she teaches. Learning to call the students by name is a powerful phenomenon to build rapport with the students. They think as a matter of honour as well as perceives the depth of closeness between them. If and when possible she may come to the class before the usual time and after the usual time to make a scope to gossip with them. Establishing online relationship is also an important tool now a days. Interaction more, lecture less is very useful for rapport building. Students’ comments, questions and other sorts of participation must be appreciated and rewarded. She should be enthusiastic about teaching and passionate about her subject matter. Making eye contact with each student without staring, glaring, or flaring definitely talks about effective rapport building.  Teachers must not show gloomy face in the class rather wear a smiling face before the students to make rapport with them. 
Teaching is similar to a play, and teachers learn their roles. However, a limitation lies with student perceptions of teacher behaviors. Students in a given classroom view the same behaviors but perceive them individually, likely depending on their expectations as well as several other beliefs. Therefore, although an immediacy measure provides an excellent step toward assessing teacher-student relationships, such scales do not address different student perceptions of the same professor based on behaviors. Also, immediacy and rapport may represent two constructs, with rapport capturing a broader idea. Teaching is a social endeavor, and some measure of teaching and learning success rests on recognizing the importance of our relationships with students. 
The quality of relationships will be determined by both teacher and student behaviors and characteristics. Instructors can work toward establishing rapport by engaging in the behaviors discussed here and striving to communicate good will. 
Rapport is not something developed by announcement. It  is developed by actions resulting  from things teachers do. Sometimes rapport happens naturally, with somebody else without having to try, this is often how friendships are built.  However, rapport can also be built and developed by finding common ground, developing a bond and being empathic.  Rapport is important in both our professional and personal lives; employers are more likely to employ somebody who they believe will get on well with their current staff.  Personal relationships are easier to make and develop when there is a closer connection and understanding between the parties involved – i.e. there is greater rapport.
Building rapport is all about matching ourselves with another person.  For many, starting a conversation with a stranger is a stressful event; we can be lost for words, awkward with our body language and mannerisms.  Creating rapport at the beginning of a conversation with somebody new will often make the outcome of the conversation more positive.  However stressful and/or nervous you may feel the first thing you need to do is to try to relax and remain calm, by decreasing the tension in the situation when communication becomes easier and rapport 
grows. 
We create and maintain rapport subconsciously through matching non-verbal signals, including body positioning, body movements, eye contact, facial expressions and tone of voice with the other person. We create rapport instinctively, it is our natural defense from conflict, which most of us will try hard to avoid most of the time. It is important that appropriate body language is used; we read and instantly believe what body language tells us, whereas we may take more persuading with vocal communication.  If there is a mismatch between what we are saying verbally and what our body language is saying then the person we are communicating with will believe the body language.  Building rapport, therefore, begins with displaying appropriate body language - being welcoming, relaxed and open. 
The way we use our voice is also important in developing rapport.  When we are nervous or tense we tend to talk more quickly, this in turn can make us more tensed and stressed.  
We can vary our voices, pitch, volume and pace in ways to make what we are saying more interesting but also to come across as more relaxed, open and friendly.  

The writer is an educationist Email: [email protected] 

Rapport building with students ensures fruitful teaching-learning situation­­­

Being close to the students and developing friendly relation with them is the pre-condition of effective teaching

Rapport building with the learners is an essential tool and important technique to create an environment where teachers feel easy to teach and students can receive what the teachers deliver. It is the development of a positive relation between the teacher and the students. Generally rapport is characterized by positive thoughts and feelings of closeness. Perceptions of bonding lead to favorable interactions between the teachers and learners. Though rapport building sometimes is ignored and just the theme of the subject is given importance, actually it does not reach the learners well when there lies a gap of relationship. Being close to the students and developing friendly relation with them is the pre-condition of effective teaching. Students accrue potential benefits such as more positive attitude towards the course and the teacher, increased motivation, and even higher grades from rapport. Teachers also see improved class participation and positive ratings of instruction. Rapport increases students enjoyment of the teacher and subject matter; motivates them to come to class more often, and to pay more attention in class. Thus, rapport seems to facilitate both student motivation for learning and their enjoyment of the course, and enhances student receptivity to what is being taught. How a teacher can build rapport with her students? S/he should show a sense of humor and make her available to the students before, after and outside the classroom as well. They should encourage the learners to discuss the things she teaches. Learning to call the students by name is a powerful phenomenon to build rapport with the students. They think as a matter of honour as well as perceives the depth of closeness between them. If and when possible she may come to the class before the usual time and after the usual time to make a scope to gossip with them. Establishing online relationship is also an important tool now a days. Interaction more, lecture less is very useful for rapport building. Students comments, questions and other sorts of participation must be appreciated and rewarded. She should be enthusiastic about teaching and passionate about her subject matter. Making eye contact with each student without staring, glaring, or flaring definitely talks about effective rapport building. Teachers must not show gloomy face in the class rather wear a smiling face before the students to make rapport with them. Teaching is similar to a play, and teachers learn their roles. However, a limitation lies with student perceptions of teacher behaviors. Students in a given classroom view the same behaviors but perceive them individually, likely depending on their expectations as well as several other beliefs. Therefore, although an immediacy measure provides an excellent step toward assessing teacher-student relationships, such scales do not address different student perceptions of the same professor based on behaviors. Also, immediacy and rapport may represent two constructs, with rapport capturing a broader idea. Teaching is a social endeavor, and some measure of teaching and learning success rests on recognizing the importance of our relationships with students. The quality of relationships will be determined by both teacher and student behaviors and characteristics. Instructors can work toward establishing rapport by engaging in the behaviors discussed here and striving to communicate good will. Rapport is not something developed by announcement. It is developed by actions resulting from things teachers do. Sometimes rapport happens naturally, with somebody else without having to try, this is often how friendships are built. However, rapport can also be built and developed by finding common ground, developing a bond and being empathic. Rapport is important in both our professional and personal lives; employers are more likely to employ somebody who they believe will get on well with their current staff. Personal relationships are easier to make and develop when there is a closer connection and understanding between the parties involved i.e. there is greater rapport. Building rapport is all about matching ourselves with another person. For many, starting a conversation with a stranger is a stressful event; we can be lost for words, awkward with our body language and mannerisms. Creating rapport at the beginning of a conversation with somebody new will often make the outcome of the conversation more positive. However stressful and/or nervous you may feel the first thing you need to do is to try to relax and remain calm, by decreasing the tension in the situation when communication becomes easier and rapport grows. We create and maintain rapport subconsciously through matching non-verbal signals, including body positioning, body movements, eye contact, facial expressions and tone of voice with the other person. We create rapport instinctively, it is our natural defense from conflict, which most of us will try hard to avoid most of the time. It is important that appropriate body language is used; we read and instantly believe what body language tells us, whereas we may take more persuading with vocal communication. If there is a mismatch between what we are saying verbally and what our body language is saying then the person we are communicating with will believe the body language. Building rapport, therefore, begins with displaying appropriate body language - being welcoming, relaxed and open. The way we use our voice is also important in developing rapport. When we are nervous or tense we tend to talk more quickly, this in turn can make us more tensed and stressed. We can vary our voices, pitch, volume and pace in ways to make what we are saying more interesting but also to come across as more relaxed, open and friendly. The writer is an educationistEmail: [email protected]