The Importance of Authentic Student-Teacher Relationships
Image taken from: Jo Boaler's How to Learn Math Facebook page
I have always felt that the teacher-student relationship is a critical element in the teaching-learning process and is equally applicable to those just entering formal education, in junior school/grade school, secondary school or close to graduation and beyond. When students feel safe and secure, they are - per the IB Learner Profile - able to take risks, move out of their comfort zone, and reach their potential. This is somewhat akin to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need.
In this regard, the following come to mind:
The key elements of Rita Pierson's inspirational TED Talk: Every Kid Needs a Champion in which she reiterates the importance of the student-teacher relationship, are beautifully summarized in this wonderful image.
In David Brooks’ January 2019 article in The New York Times, Students Learn From People They Love, the following paragraphs stand out:
“That unplanned moment illustrated for me the connection between emotional relationships and learning. We used to have this top-down notion that reason was on a teeter-totter with emotion. If you wanted to be rational and think well, you had to suppress those primitive gremlins, the emotions. Teaching consisted of dispassionately downloading knowledge into students’ brains.”
“That early neuroscience breakthrough reminded us that a key job of a school is to give students new things to love — an exciting field of study, new friends. It reminded us that what teachers really teach is themselves — their contagious passion for their subjects and students. It reminded us that children learn from people they love, and that love in this context means willing the good of another, and offering active care for the whole person.”
“Even when conditions are ideal, think of all the emotions that are involved in mastering a hard subject like algebra: curiosity, excitement, frustration, confusion, dread, delight, worry and, hopefully, perseverance and joy. You’ve got to have an educated emotional vocabulary to maneuver through all those stages.
And students have got to have a good relationship with teachers. Suzanne Dikker of New York University has shown that when classes are going well, the student brain activity synchronizes with the teacher’s brain activity. In good times and bad, good teachers and good students co-regulate each other.”
Should one need a visual reminder, George Couros’ post, The Patience and Persistence Needed for Our Students, has this wonderful quote.
It is interesting to note that while Maria Orlando’s 2013, Nine Characteristics of a Great Teacher appears - at least on the surface - to not be focused on students. These all affect students and by extension the teacher-student relationship and the teaching-learning process. Her nine characteristics of a great teacher are as follows:
A great teacher respects students.
A great teacher creates a sense of community.
A great teacher is warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring.
A great teacher sets high expectations for all students.
A great teacher has his own love of learning.
A great teacher is a skilled leader.
A great teacher can “shift-gears”.
A great teacher collaborates with colleagues on an ongoing basis.
A great teacher maintains professionalism in all areas.
Mindful that it is the month in which Teacher Appreciation Day occurs, this succinct Jung quote from my May 2018 post, entitled Appreciation, is most apt as it reiterates the importance of connection.
Alison Klein’s March 2019 Washington Post article, This elementary school principal reads books on Facebook to ensure her students have a bedtime story, highlights the extent to which educators go to not just support their learners, but to make connections and develop a sense of belonging. Principal George says she does it “to keep the relationship strong between home and school … I know if I don’t reach them outside of school I never reach them in school.”
Julie Woodard’s image from Twitter @woodard_julie reiterates the key elements to build positive teacher-student relationships.
My February 2017 blog post, Relationships: "When you teach to the heart, the mind will follow" goes hand in hand with trust, referenced Victor Rios' TED Talk, Help for Kids the Education System Ignores, in which he implores us to no longer label young people as "at-risk", but rather "at-promise". In my post, I wrote the following, “While the affluent environment in which I now work is a world away, Victor's focus on making connections, nevertheless, still resonates. In relating his experiences, he reiterates the importance of connection and references the mantra of one of his teachers, Ms. Russ, "when you teach to the heart, the mind will follow."”
While I am acutely aware that time and experience cause one to refine one’s philosophy and understanding of various issues within education, I passionately believe that my strong belief in the importance of authentic student-teacher relationships and the trust that comes from such connections and sense of belonging (incidentally, our school values reference connection and belonging ), will always be part of my philosophy of education.