Teacher - Student Relationship

Relationships - Why are they important? Do they make a difference? Student feedback, feed forward.

At the end of term 2 I sat with my Kaitohutohu and asked them to think, pair and share with others about the importance of forming teacher - student relationships and how this can impact their learning at Papakura High School. These students are year 9, first year in high school, trying to understand a new way of learning, with numerous teachers who they have never met before.
I gave them 2 questions to think about and answer and these were the statements they came up with in their pairs (refer to photos).
Based on all the answers provided it is fair to say, teacher - student relationships play a huge part on the learning and motivation of so many of the students at this school, the ability to trust an adult they don't know plays a huge part in the amount of learning they are doing and this is an issue we all need to be aware of.
'So you can learn in class' and 'so kids want to come to school' are only 2 of the answers to the question 'Why is it important for students and teachers to have a positive relationship?', this is important feedback for myself as it not only reflects my 2019 inquiry about the importance of building relationships but also on the importance of ensuring I am taking the time to build meaningful relationships with each of my students in order for them to be successful learners.

' No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship ' - James Comer