Subject: Relationship Element in School Change

Posted by Tim Joy on 2/2/2014
In Reply To:School Model Under Construction Posted by Anne Nordholm on 1/28/2014

Message:

Anne:

This is very helpful and succinctly put. You suggest an additional model element that captures the critical influence of teacher-student relationships.

We evidently work at similar places. At our high-poverty high school, relationships are the key: "students don't care what you know, until they know that you care." That takes some time. Until trust is established, learning sputters at best. I see this every year as new staff, successful elsewhere, struggle to connect with and then engage our students.

In short, I agree. What is next is how do we represent that critical element in this model? This will act as a force that influences students' capacity to learn; there may be some capacity, delayed for sure, of teachers to mitigate this pressure. The SOLID RELATIONSHIPS and/or RESTORATIVE COMMUNITY ideas should be in this model. The section of the model named Knowledge of Teens conjures this idea, but your language is clearer and certainly closer to the point. There's a communal and relational aspect in schooling that is not well represented here. It will have obvious impact on instructional efficacy. I'll work on that.

Thanks, Anne.

Tim Joy