According to Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework, “young people are more likely to grow up successfully when they experience developmental relationships with important people in their lives. Developmental relationships are close connections through which young people discover who they are, cultivate abilities to shape their own lives, and learn how to engage with and contribute to the world around them. Search Institute has identified five elements—expressed in 20 specific actions—that make relationships powerful in young people’s lives.”

The five elements include:

• Express Care - show me that I matter to you.

• Challenge Growth - push me to keep getting better.

• Provide Support - help me complete tasks and achieve goals.

• Share Power - treat me with respect and give me a say.

• Expand Possibilities - connect me with people and places that broaden my world.

When developing relationship building interventions, educators can incorporate the above elements in order to ensure interventions are meaningful and have the greatest success.

It’s also important that leaders intentionally follow up on commitments to pursue more developmental relationships. For instance, including regular share-outs from staff on this topic during team meetings provides accountability to teachers while socializing promising relationship-building techniques. Maintaining relationship building as a regular topic of conversation also demonstrates that it is a priority for school leadership.