Interactions Between Students and Teachers Count

Interactions Between Students and Teachers Count

Several times a week, when I go to Brock to swim or walk around the pool, there is one swim team or another practicing.  I go early in the day when the teams usually practice for an hour or 90 minutes.  There are varsity teams and high school teams and each level has its own coach there along side the pool yelling instructions to the kids in the water.  Just this week, I couldn't help but notice the difference in approach between the two coaches. One never even says hello to me and lurks at the water's edge watching the swimmers, occasionally uttering a word or two to one  or two of the swimmers but invariably looking annoyed or unhappy, at the very least.  He's been coaching as long as I have been swimming there and it is approaching a quarter century since I started first to swim there.  The other coach probably isn't much older than the same quarter century, married because I see the wedding band on him, but so completely different in his demeanour and poolside style.  He's ebullient and friendly.  He's even said hello to me from time to time but always interacts with the kids in the pool.  I've found myself comparing the style of the two coaches to two very different styles of teachers.  The former, older and senior coach seems to be very demanding and doesn't convey support of any kind to his swimmers.  The other is supportive and encouraging. I know there is a lot of research on what makes an ideal teacher out there.  No one will convince me, after a lifetime in the classroom, that the style of the latter coach is more likely to get better results from his proteges  than the former.  I learned the hard way that students respond to friendliness and encouragement much better than demands and punishments.  Sometimes, you have to force a child to work to attain goals set high, for sure, but words of praise and support go a lot further in getting the best out of a student, regardless of the nature of the class.