Page 38 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Training Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 38
petent teachers are able to identify and promote young people’s spe-
cial interests and skills to acknowledge that schools value the diversity they
bring. Relationally competent teachers are present in their relationship with
students and do not escape into the omniscient position of the subject they
teach. Relationally competent teachers go beyond autocratic and rigid be-
haviour management in response to misbehaviour – they take responsibil-
ity for the misbehaviour. Within this framework, what is happening is not
used as a diagnostic tool (what is wrong with a child, how to fix it), but as
a reflective tool (what is the happening telling me). In this way, the educa-
tion experience is personalised and can also help identify any academic and
personal problems (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Burke Morison, 2006). We may
therefore conclude that in the case of ESL teachers’ relational competence
is extremely important. And not only does the teacher’s relational com-
petence support the development of more positive and close relationships
with the students, which in turn motivates them to remain in school, but
it also increases the teacher’s own quality of life and will to more effective-
ly face the different problems that emerge during the educational process.
Over the past decade, relational competence has become part of profession-
al development interventions (Sabol & Pianta, 2012) and initial teacher edu-
cation training (Nielsen, 2017).
By using the above conclusions as a starting point, researching and ac-
knowledging behaviour and thinking patterns which affect teaching effica-
cy and potential realisation are becoming essential for enhancing relational
competence. It is important is to realise that teachers’ and students’ em-
pathy, awareness and self-accord can be strengthened and systematically
developed by adopting specific approaches (Jensen, Juul, Høeg, Bertelsen,
Stubberup, & Hildebrandt, 2016) in and outside the learning process.
References
Ainsworth, M., Blehar, M., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attach-
ment. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Anderman, L. H. (2003). Academic and social perception as predictors of
change in middle school students’ sense of school belonging. Journal of
Experimental Education, 72(1), 5–22.
Battin-Pearson, S., Newcomb, M., Abbott, R., Hill, K., Catalano, R., Hawkins,
J., & Pressley, G. Michael. (2000). Predictors of early high school dropout:
A test of five theories. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(3), 568–582.
38
cial interests and skills to acknowledge that schools value the diversity they
bring. Relationally competent teachers are present in their relationship with
students and do not escape into the omniscient position of the subject they
teach. Relationally competent teachers go beyond autocratic and rigid be-
haviour management in response to misbehaviour – they take responsibil-
ity for the misbehaviour. Within this framework, what is happening is not
used as a diagnostic tool (what is wrong with a child, how to fix it), but as
a reflective tool (what is the happening telling me). In this way, the educa-
tion experience is personalised and can also help identify any academic and
personal problems (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Burke Morison, 2006). We may
therefore conclude that in the case of ESL teachers’ relational competence
is extremely important. And not only does the teacher’s relational com-
petence support the development of more positive and close relationships
with the students, which in turn motivates them to remain in school, but
it also increases the teacher’s own quality of life and will to more effective-
ly face the different problems that emerge during the educational process.
Over the past decade, relational competence has become part of profession-
al development interventions (Sabol & Pianta, 2012) and initial teacher edu-
cation training (Nielsen, 2017).
By using the above conclusions as a starting point, researching and ac-
knowledging behaviour and thinking patterns which affect teaching effica-
cy and potential realisation are becoming essential for enhancing relational
competence. It is important is to realise that teachers’ and students’ em-
pathy, awareness and self-accord can be strengthened and systematically
developed by adopting specific approaches (Jensen, Juul, Høeg, Bertelsen,
Stubberup, & Hildebrandt, 2016) in and outside the learning process.
References
Ainsworth, M., Blehar, M., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attach-
ment. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Anderman, L. H. (2003). Academic and social perception as predictors of
change in middle school students’ sense of school belonging. Journal of
Experimental Education, 72(1), 5–22.
Battin-Pearson, S., Newcomb, M., Abbott, R., Hill, K., Catalano, R., Hawkins,
J., & Pressley, G. Michael. (2000). Predictors of early high school dropout:
A test of five theories. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(3), 568–582.
38
