Live. Learn. Lead.

What we know about teaching and learning right now suggests that voice, engagement, and rigor are key components of deep learning. Dagget frames it as Relationships-Relevance-and-Rigor. In order for students to truly engage in the learning process students must see themselves as a vital part of both the classroom and school community. 

There are few in the field of education today who would argue that relationships are not a vital part of the learning experience. And in fact, most teachers report having good relationships with students. And in my work in schools, I would broadly agree that in most classrooms, most teachers, have generally good relationships with most students. 

So… there’s no problem. Right? 

I would challenge you to re-read it because it is easy to simply flow over the words. As you read it again, what word, words, or phrases start to jump out at you? I imagine the qualifier words “most” and “generally” are notable.

But are teacher/student relationship the only relationships that are necessary to ensure that students see themselves as vital parts of the learning community? Certainly, adult/student relationships are important and absolutely are part of ensuring every student sees herself as a vital member of the school and classroom community. However, it is much more than that.

Let’s unpack it a little more.

To “know that you are a vital member of the school and classroom community” is to see reflected to you that you are important, that you bring value and vibrancy to the school and classrooms you inhabit. How do schools and classrooms reflect that each individual is important? How do schools reflect that each individual brings value and is an asset? How do schools reflect the vibrancy and life that students bring with them through the doors of the school?

Having a teacher know your name is part of the equation but if that’s the sum total, we are missing out.

Not only do teachers need to know students by name, students must know one another. Beyond that, adults must model this by knowing the other adults on campus. It’s not enough to know that someone works on campus. There are truly 3 sets of relationships that are vital in a thriving shcool community adult/student, student/student, and adult/adult. When adults don’t know each other it sends a subtle message that it’s ok to be unknow. When students don’t know each other, how can we expect them to engage in the risk-taking necessary to learn deeply? 

As we think about the foundation of building a school culture where each member of the community is seen as vital, everyone in the community must be “known” which means we have a relationship. And that relationship is tacitly based in a social contract. I submit the following as necessary components of that contract.

• Respect/Feeling Understood
• Trust/Security
• Empathy
• Honesty
• Forgiveness

I would challenge you punch some holes in my thinking. Am I missing a key element of the social contract? Do you have a powerful, real-world example of a school community that is highly functional, where deep learning occurs and relationships are not foundational to that work? 

Over the coming weeks, I will dig into defining and describing why I think these are key elements to creating a classroom and school community where each individual is valued.

I will also include the following disclaimer: I am familiar with “Realationship-Based Education” and am not an expert. This piece and any follow up writing is not intended to support or contrdict anything about the Relationship-Based Education model. My central focus is how are the 3 types of relationships noted above nurtured and developed to create a learning community where all members see themselves as valued and valuable.