7 Easy Ways to Destroy Your Rapport with Your Students

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I know there are teachers out there who insist that having good rapport with your students is somehow important. They say that a good rapport can be the difference between a class that is out-of-control and one that respects and listens to you. Or that once you develop a good rapport with a student, you may be amazed how dedicated and loyal they become.

But I’m just not sure I believe them. I think a good rapport is extremely overrated. And furthermore, it just might be something you need to avoid at all cost.

To that end, I’ve provided you with 7 easy ways that you can destroy any rapport you might have built up with your students.

How to Destroy Your Rapport with Your Students

1. Make sure you’re always right. If you want to frustrate your students, make sure you always insist you’re right, even when you’re wrong. And never apologize when you make a mistake or lose your temper.
    
   
2. Cut off all avenues of appeal. Don’t let your students appeal any of your decisions. You are the teacher and the authority, so you’d better not let them question you. Ever.
    
   
3. Never laugh (especially at yourself). If you want to be taken seriously, never smile. Never use humor. And, above all, never laugh at yourself.
    
   
4. Turn in students for discipline without talking to them. If you really want to get a student mad at you, just turn in their name for a detention without saying anything to them. The look on their unsuspecting face when they receive the slip from the office will be priceless!
    
   
5. Yell at your students. This is a great one. Next time your students are misbehaving, just scream at them and go off on a huge rant. That’s  a sure bet to kill your rapport in a heartbeat. Especially if you remember rule #1.
    
   
6. Accuse a student when you kinda-sorta-probably know what happened. Okay, so next time you think Clara may have cheated, don’t wait until you’re more confident. Just accuse her right away. And make sure you’re very insistent that she did do it and isn’t going to get away with it! (And never ever take the advice found in this post here.)
    
   
7. Put on a facade. This is the most powerful way to destroy your rapport, and while it might not make a big difference right away, stick with it and it will definitely pay off. All you’ve gotta’ do is pretend to be something you’re not. Or hold your students to different standards than you have for yourself.  Rapport-destroying gold!

And, above all, never ever waste your time on a training like Classroom Management 101. Just look at it! To think that you could actually teach, inspire, and make meaningful connections with your kids? Ha! Ridiculous.

(This course includes Beyond Classroom Management)

Original photo by Werner Kunz

Links/Resources:

• (Free Classroom Management MiniCourse has been updated with) How to Reduce Disruptions without Yelling, Begging, or Bribing

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