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Improving Students' Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning

Creating Moments of Genuine Connection Online

10 Ways to Promote Student Engagement

How to Make Your Teaching More Engaging

Building Relationships Leads to Learning

Building relationships with students leads to gaining their trust which is a necessary ingredient for engaging students in learning. Building positive reciprocal relationships with students creates an environment in which the student feels safe and can engage freely in learning experiences. These positive reciprocal relationships are something that must begin on day one in the classroom and continue throughout the semester.

Positive teacher-student interactions, like engaging in conversations before/after class, texting them encouraging GIFs at key points in the semester, and giving personalized feedback on coursework can create a powerful connection between the student and teacher. These positive interactions are things many of you practice every day and have for years. You know from personal experience the power these types of relationship-building practices can have in terms of student success.

Student Success in Performance & Persistence

How many times has a student come to you on the verge of quitting and one conversation with you turns it all around? So many, right! More than likely you've spent time cultivating a relationship with that student so they trust you enough to come to you when they have issues. Many students lack strong support systems of family and friends to help them perform in college and persist in achieving their dreams. They need all of us, their teachers, staff, and their fellow students to help provide that support system.

building relationships, student engagement, and active learning Here is an excerpt found in the Achieving the Dream's Teaching & Learning Toolkit: A Research-Based Guide to Building a Culture of Teaching & Learning Excellence (p.50) from the book Relationship-Rich Education: How Human ConnectionsDrive Success in College. Authors Peter Felten and Leo Lambert interviewed Joshua Rodriguez, a student from Oakton Community College, who told them this story:

Early in Calculus 2, we started getting into really diﬃcult things and I suddenly began having these feelings like I didn’t belong in this class, that my education, what I was trying to achieve, wasn’t possible … I went to Professor Arco to say that I might have to drop out. He told me, Joshua, I don’t want you to do the homework tonight. I want you to look up ‘imposter syndrome’ and then come talk with me. I did that, and I learned that it is extraordinarily common among students. That interaction bolstered my conﬁdence to realize that I’m not alone in this, that everyone has these feelings. I went from contemplating dropping out to getting tutoring help, and then getting an A in the course.

I'm sure many of you can relate to this story. Never underestimate the power of building relationships with students - REMEMBER, YOU ARE CHANGING LIVES EVERY DAY!