Relationships Count
“It is the teachers who have created positive teacher-student relationships that are more likely to have the above average effects on student achievement.” – Dr. John Hattie
After years of extensive research on student learning, Dr. John Hattie found that the relationships teachers share with their students have a greater effect on their academic growth than socio-economic status, professional development, class size, or any type of special programs. It was not that these other things were not important, but that the teacher-student relationship had more impact on students’ learning outcomes. There are many mandates that are beyond our control in education – things we cannot change – but teachers can be change agents when we develop relationships that truly count.
The research has shown two things that teachers can do to create “high-performance” teacher-student relationships. They are:
- Care about the learner and the learning.
- Press students to excel.
In the article 12 Things Kids Want From Their Teachers, Angela Maiers found that building relationships requires that teachers show “genuine care for students – both as learners and as people.” She states that teachers need to be nurturing, empathetic, and mentally present with them throughout the day. Maiers lists 3 keys to caring relationships:
- Warmth – Care for and accept students for who they are.
- Empathy – Try to understand how your students think and feel.
- Time – Take the time to be mentally and physically there for them. Be present.
As educators we cannot control the standardized testing or other mandates that flow into our classrooms, but we can control the tone and expectations. Teachers can show genuine caring and can hold students to high standards. We can expose our students to what success looks like and help them achieve it. We can provide academic and behavior guidance while fostering personal responsibility. We can let our students know that we expect them to make responsible choices, behave well, work hard, and that we will support them throughout the learning process each day. Our actions influence our students and impact their achievement. We accept them for who they are, but we will not accept less than their best.
We have a greater impact than we often think. We are agents of change who can make a difference and that counts.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XWMAteuaks
“Holding high standards without providing a warm environment is merely harsh. A warm environment without high standards lacks backbone. But if you can create a combination of high standards with a warm and supportive environment it will benefit all students, not just the high achievers.” – Lee Jussim