The Importance of Relationships for Learning

Relationships for Learning

I'm going to go out on a limb to say that on the first day of school, the most important thing for any student is having or making friends. The second most important thing is to have a teacher who provides a safe and friendly environment where expectations and established protocols are clear, a place where learning can happen. 


My first day of school this term was at the start of the spring semester, where I entered as a "new" teacher in a school near a rough cluster of housing projects in Kalihi Valley in Hawaii, (Yes, there are projects in paradise). The students here had been together through the fall, without me, and the dynamic of each class was pretty much set by the time I got there. One of the classes was wild but willing - the other two vacillated between light-you-hair-on-fire chaos, to stonewalling me. They were not open to someone new replacing the teacher they had been with before. I began immediately to research what types of strategies work for building relationships with youth at risk. 

I wanted a) establish a space for learning, and b) live to tell the tale. Is that too much ask? Everyone, including those who haven't set foot in a classroom since their own high school days, has an opinion on how to do this, however, upon entering a class that is exuding high voltage hostility, it becomes painfully clear that is isn't as easy as "everyone" thinks. 
At this time I was in a master's program and had my professor to talk with. I also sought advice from peers, counselors, parents, and spoke to the Principal about what was (and wasn't) going on in the classroom. What I needed was the back-story on why things were so crazy out of control...and I would have to find a way for the students and I to come to some agreements on how to work together.

 

The topic of relationship building in classrooms has been heavily researched. According to  Interpersonal Relationships in Education: From Theory to Practice, this type of inquiry began approximately 40 years ago.  Later in 1984, the American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group on Learning Environments was established. There is now a wealth of information on the topic of relationship-building for education that is both interesting and practical, however, nothing prepares you well enough, except the thing itself, spending time in the belly of the beast, otherwise known as, a classroom.

One intriguing concept I read about was the importance of considering the micro view of the moment by moment interactions between teacher and student.  Things like greeting each student by name, at the door in the morning, looking each student in the eye during class lectures, and getting to know each student on a personal note, are all moment to moment interactions that establish a connection. Interestingly, these practices, along with shaking each student's hand upon entering the class every day, is a long-held tradition of the Waldorf Schools, established by 19th-century philosopher, social reformer, educator, theosophist, and biodynamic agriculturalist, Rudolph Steiner. More esoterically, Waldorf teachers have trained also, to envision the faces of each of their students before they go to sleep at night and imbue that vision with love and vitality. They believe this creates a positive feeling for and from the students on a daily basis.

The visionary Steiner also espoused A'o; the learning that happens not just from teacher to student, but from student to teacher, in his many writings. He stated that "even the wisest can learn incalculably from children", and that it is "the child who is the book from which we educate ourselves." Valuing the knowledge students bring to a learning space is elemental in building relationships with them.


In the book, Interpersonal Relationships in Education, the authors point out that because education is a fundamentally social enterprise, learning how to enhance the social interactions between teachers, administrators, students, and peers is essential for education. A student's perception of their teachers and of their learning environment also affects their learning outcomes.
(Wubbels, Brekelmans, Van Tartwjik, & Admiral, 1999: Wubbels and Levy, 1993)

Practical strategies are needed to create an environment that students will perceive as safe, non-judgmental, and open to their ideas in order to foster genuine engagement. A necessary component in such an environment is effective classroom management, which calls for "appropriate levels of dominance".  Appropriate dominance is a characteristic of effective teacher-student relationships and is defined as the teacher's ability to provide a clear purpose and strong guidance, in both academics and student behavior. (Wubbels, Brekelmans, Van Tartwjik, & Admiral, 1999: Wubbels and Levy, 1993)

Studies indicate that when asked about their preferences for teacher behavior, students typically express a desire for this type of action. (Marzano & Marzano, 2003) I'm in need of strategies that will work with at-risk high school students, many of whom do not have strong familial support, structure or security and I need to show them, that I will be there for them, day after day.