The College of Education at my institution recently held a professional development day for pre-service teachers preparing to start clinical field placements. One of the topics on the agenda was starting on day one to build relationships with their K-6 students. In planning to help these budding teachers develop those important relationships, I reflected on how I build relationships with them as adult learners in my courses.
Most of us have heard Yale professor and child psychiatrist James Comer ‘s (2001) quote, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” However, even more applicable to our work in higher education are the words of Felten and Lambert in their book, Relationship-Rich Education, who describe relationships as “the beating heart of the undergraduate experience (1).” Relationship building is invisible work at first but becomes truly visible as the class culture reflects a space where students feel welcome, take risks, and seek out learning.
Felten and Lambert discovered interlocking relationship-rich principles guiding effective programs in their research (17). In this post, I share one of these principles and five intentional suggestions for making them happen in the college classroom.
Principle: “Every student must experience genuine welcome and deep care (Felten and Lambert, 2020).”
Intentional suggestions
1. Before the semester starts, I email my students a link to a pre-course Google form survey. This survey asks them questions such as: How do you learn best? What do you want me to know about you? What are you most excited about learning in this class? What are you most anxious about doing in this class? I read each response and make notes for myself. Some want me to know they are working two jobs while also taking classes, and some are struggling with mental or physical health issues. Some have substitute teaching experience, and others have no experience working in schools. Many write that they appreciate organization and clear directions for assignments and coursework. I refer to this information throughout the semester as I get to know my students better.
2. My very first class session is a welcoming coffeehouse☕! Students walk into a room where I have created a welcoming space that looks like a coffeehouse. There is coffee available, the lights are off and there is candlelight throughout the room with soft music playing on Pandora and a slide featuring a coffeehouse projected on the screen. Before this day, students write a Biopoem introducing themselves, and they “perform” it at the coffeehouse. Afterward, students place the Biopoems on their tables and write comments on their peers’ poems, highlighting connections they have to one another. This first-day activity sets the tone for a semester that reduces anxiety and invites collaboration. It prioritizes positive class culture to meet the expectations on the syllabus.
3. We know relationship-building continues after day one and builds throughout the semester. Some days, I stand by my classroom door and greet students as they walk in with a large poster filled with different emojis showing a range of emotions. I ask them to point to the one that shows how they feel that day. This gives me insight into the class’s tone and allows me to check in personally with anyone who might be struggling. You will be surprised at the willingness of students to share their feelings, thoughts, joys and stresses this way.
4. At the mid-point of the semester, I ask students for their feedback on the course. They are encouraged to write what works for them and what they’d like me to do differently. I consider each suggestion and explicitly tell them which I feel comfortable implementing for the second half of the semester. Students appreciate that their feedback is heard.
5. When I notice a “slump” period towards the end of the semester, or students seem tired and overwhelmed with all they have going on in school and life, I try to ignite the spark for learning by having them create dedications. Each student chooses someone (family member, friend, past teacher, coach, mentor) they admire and to whom they want to dedicate their drive for learning and their push to finish this hard work. They prepare one slide with a photo of the person and a reason why this person motivates them to learn. I also encourage them to reach out to that person and let them know they are thinking of them and have dedicated their learning in this course to them. Students are proud to share someone who made a difference, and I learn even more about who they are as individuals.
While the benefits of relationship-building are numerous to students, they are equally as valuable to me as the instructor. Relationship-building must be intentional to reach students’ minds and hearts. One of the finest comments I have received from a student was, “I appreciated how, in this course, it felt like we were a community, like a family.”
Dr. Marlene Correia is an associate professor of literacy at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts and coordinator of the graduate programs in reading. Correia is president of the MA Association of College and University Reading Educators.
References
Comer, J. P. “Schools that develop children.” The American Prospect 12 (7) 2001: 30-35.
Felten, Peter and Leo Lambert. Relationship-Rich Education. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020.
