The 7-2 Rule

            I have had the opportunity to observe another teacher at my co-op school over the past couple weeks. He has a very different teaching style, his classrooms are always loud and chaotic. He believes that students need to feel comfortable in the classroom in order to learn, and that the noise of students talking is working noise. In order to make his students comfortable in his classroom he has integrated the 7-2 Rule. The rule as he described it to me is that the idea is to spend 2 minutes of your day focused on a getting to know a specific student for 7 days and that after you do that the teacher student relationship will improve greatly.

            This idea blew me away, not because it was revolutionary, but that it was such a simple task to create a bond with your students that will help them become comfortable and open to engaging in the classroom. He explained to me that he has actively used this rule and how this has helped improve the classroom environment. He told me that he could go down the aisle in his classroom of over 35 students and tell me something specific about that student’s life outside of the classroom.

            The Professional Growth Portfolio we are to be filling out as teacher candidates has an goal section on affirming respect and dignity for individuals. The 7-2 Rule insures that teachers focus on recognizing and fostering each student’s sense of self worth and developing an environment that supports the individual as a whole person. By getting to know the students, they become more than a body in a classroom. I believe that when teachers take the time to get to know their students, the students are more likely to put effort into their schooling because they know their teacher cares about them as an individual.