This year is very special to me because I am teaching many of the same kids in grade 4 that I taught in grade 2. Not only have I seen them grow from readers to book enthusiasts (thanks Dawn Ackroyd, your book whispering in grade 3 is inspiring), but I have seen them develop a point of view and a sense of self. The most important thing in my classroom has always been the relationship I form between my students and I. Not only knowing their favorite colour and food, but helping them carve an identity in the classroom.

One of my students, struggled with creating friendships, so I found out about him and became his friend first. Once he and I were friends I would throw “that is so jimmy, he LOVES planes” into classroom conversations until other students picked up on his passion and started commenting on it themselves “Jimmy, the book I’m reading has a pilot in it… Come check it out”. Jimmy felt valued and other students helped him build friendships.

I tell many stories about my family in class… In fact even the parents of my students feel like they know my brothers :). Students will focus on a task for much longer then they normally would if I tell them they may get a “Miss B story” before the end of the day. In fact, we were reading a story in class about showing good character. I have an infamous childhood friend, who would always got me to do things I wasn’t supposed to. Mid story, a student raised her hand and said “I’m sorry to interrupt Miss B., but this story totally seems like something your friend Dodie would do”. Her saying that, not only meant she understood the story (linking her ideas to prior knowledge) but she wanted to share the link with me because she knew I would understand. The other day I was telling a story about my oldest brother and  another kid commented “that is classic Adam, Miss B.”. The point is, they know me… and it’s important for me to know them.

Creating relationships with students should be easy and organic for a teacher. If a student in my class is struggling, I feel it, if they experience success, I feel that too.

I am a human to my students, not just their teacher, which makes my experiences with the kids so much more authentic. They know I make mistakes and that they are welcome to do the same. They know I cry when happy things happen and they embrace it. Because I show my human side, they are more willing to show theirs.

Creating relationships with my students is so much more memorable and powerful than anything I we ever teach them.

When we only teach a child the curriculum, we fail them. There needs to be a focus on the development of people, not just minds.

— George Couros (@gcouros) March 7, 2014