RYAN LASH /COURTESY OF TED
dress what we teach and when
we teach it, we must not forget
to include how we deliver those
lessons. Unless there is a connection between teacher, student
and lesson, learning becomes
tiresome to all involved. Veteran
educator, James Comer, states
that, “No significant learning
occurs without a significant relationship.” Yet, the value of relationships is often downplayed
or ignored completely in teacher
preparation programs. Even more
disturbing is the lack of useable information on the relationship building process. There
is the belief among some that
camaraderie between teachers
and students leads to unprofessional familiarity or places the
teacher in a weakened position
in the classroom. Nothing could
be further from the truth. Strong
relationships encourage learner
exploration, dialogue, confidence,
and mutual respect.
I made it my business to know
everything I could about my students. Where they lived and with
whom, how often they changed
schools, how many siblings they
had, whether or not they lived in
a house or an apartment, whether
there was trauma or drama in the
household. I went on home visits and shopped in the neighborhood stores so I could be certain
to run into my students and the
“I want to
look into
your eyes
when the
answer finally
dawns on
you,” Pierson
writes of her
old-school
teaching
style.