Embedded Files
A Vision for Depth of Relationship in Education
A Vision for Depth of Relationship in Education
In an age when artificial intelligence challenges the very role of educators, and knowledge is increasingly accessible at the click of a button, we are being invited to remember a deeper truth: education is not just about information, it’s about transformation.
Traditional frameworks like Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) have helped us understand how students grow in their thinking. But they leave out something essential: the who.
Who is this learner?
What life experiences do they carry?
How are they making meaning of what they encounter in the classroom?
And most importantly: who are they becoming?
This is where Depth of Relationship (DOR) enters the picture. It is a model that values not just cognition, but connection, not just skill, but soul. DOR invites educators to recognize and nurture the whole child - heart, mind, body, and soul - by designing learning environments and experiences that honor identity, cultivate belonging, and inspire purpose.
Students don’t arrive in our classrooms as blank slates. They bring with them a rich and complex foundation: their genetic makeup, cultural heritage, family teachings, life experiences, and beliefs about the world and their place in it. These shape how they perceive learning and how they are able to engage in the transformation it offers.
Transformation, in this view, is not simply about mastery or achievement. It’s about helping students make sense of the inputs from their lives, the challenges and opportunities they face in the classroom, and the choices they will make because of it. It is formational. It is relational. It is deeply human.
When education becomes a space where learners are seen, known, and invited to connect meaningfully with their learning, we create more than outcomes, we create impact. We create individuals who are not just prepared for college and careers, but called to live with intention, integrity, and purpose. Students who see learning not just as a means to an end, but as a way to contribute to something greater than themselves.
In this way, Depth of Relationship is not an addition to learning, it is the very soil in which learning takes root and becomes fruitful.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse