As the math lesson came to a close, students dispersed to work on the task at their desks. Though it was only my first week in the classroom, I was accustomed to approaching one particular student to assist first. He consistently struggled in math and was a recent immigrant who did not speak English.
“How many tens do you see here?” I asked the student. He silently looked up at me with a blank stare and back down again at his paper.
“Cuántas decenas ves?” His face illuminated, and with a stunned smile he replied, “tres.”
I believe that relationships are the foundation for authentic learning. The relationship of care and trust we as teachers build with our students allows us to challenge and support their learning. It affords us the opportunity to differentiate and scaffold instruction to meet the needs of all learners. The instruction we craft for students models for them how to think critically and how to creatively confront global issues. Teacher-student relationships help students to become critical thinkers and encourage individuals to become lifelong learners. Instruction gives students the tools necessary to meet the needs of a rapidly-changing society with the courage to take action against injustice.
Not only is the teacher-student relationship central to intellectual development of the individual student, but it is also central to the cultivation of a positive classroom culture- one that teaches students how to treat one another with respect, how to actively listen to those with whom they disagree, and how to interact with their environment and their communities. Relationships nurture tolerance and compassion as students learn to dive into uncomfortable conversations that nurture their growth as global citizens. This difficult work benefits students not only academically, but emotionally and socially; it is how education transforms lives. Relationships allow us to keep students behaviorally and cognitively engaged because we know more about them as unique individuals—what will help them to succeed and what will ignite passion.
It is through relationships we can become culturally responsive educators. In Cambodia as an English Language Teacher, my most effective teaching occurred the last few weeks of the course. I had learned so much about my students and Cambodian culture by conversing with them, and over time I modified instruction to meet their individual needs. I challenged students’ opinions through authentic social discourse and in the process deepened their development of English language and critical thinking skills. Educators can capitalize on their relationships with students by drawing on students’ cultural assets to shape the classroom culture and instruction. In short, my mission as an educator is to nurture global citizens to make meaningful difference in the world through a whole-child, integrated, and experiential approach encompassing inquiry and engagement with academic material.