Explore

Let's challenge the conventional aim of preparing students for college and careers by proposing a broader purpose: preparing students for calling. A life of meaning, identity, and contribution.

For this to happen, students must form a relationship with the content, but they rarely get there on their own. The teacher’s relationship with the student is the bridge. When students feel seen, heard, and valued by their teacher, they are more likely to engage with the subject matter in meaningful ways. So while the goal is a student-content connection, it’s the teacher-student relationship that enables and sustains it.

Instead of only asking:

• What do students know?

• How do they think?

We should also be asking:

• "What do they care about?"

• "How connected do they feel to this learning?"

• "How is this shaping who they're becoming?"

This shift brings emotional, relational, and identity-based growth to the forefront of education.