Relationships
I was recently watching some episodes of the 2006-2011 TV series Friday Night Lights.
If you are not familiar with it, you can check out more about it here.
The main characters are Eric, a high school football coach, and his wife, Tammy who is a high school guidance counselor.
There are, of course, many themes that play throughout the show related to football, high school, education and life in general.
The thing I love the most is the theme of relationships and how building relationships and nurturing them is a key element to success both in and out of school.
Both Eric and Tammy understand that making connections and investing in the relationships with students are the most essential ingredients to creating a positive and thriving school environment and culture.
It is not about test scores, blue ribbons, trophies on the shelf or rankings on a list.
It is about being role models, showing up for kids, believing in them and walking beside them as they make their way on the path of life.
This is what we do as educators every single day in the classroom.
And with every single teacher I have ever spoken to, the greatest reward and the fondest memories and what keeps them going as an educator come from the relationships they have created and nurtured with their students.
It is understandably tough to reach out, be vulnerable and make connections with students.
It is sometimes a painful, energy and time sucking process, but the payoff is priceless, timeless and energizing.
What are some things we can do to create a classroom culture of nurturing relationships with our students and also, among our students?
