March 18, 2026 Linda Markley

Relationships

calling to make a difference, communication, creating community, making connections, Maslow before Blooms, Purpose, Resources, Strategies, teacher behavior, teacher choices, teacher hero, teacher mental health, teacher resources, teacher support, teacher value, teachers as role models, Wholehearted teaching

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?

I was shocked to discover that OSSE, the Office of State Superintendent of Education, actually have created a document (toolkit) on this very theme along with ideas and resources.

You can check it out here.

Here is another resource for your reference and reading pleasure from the Institute of Educational Science.

From my own personal experience and from hundreds of conversations with and observations of teachers in the classroom, here are my top 10 take aways for nurturing positive relationships with students:

1. Be your best human self – kind, compassionate and patient.
2. See them and hear them…truly and authentically. No labels or pre-conceptions from what you have heard from others.
3. Be vulnerable and not armored up and reactive. If you are not feeling well or are struggling with something, tell them. They are human too. 
4. Make connections and meaning out of your interactions. Share stories or personal lessons learned to guide them.
5. Incorporate more social-emotional learning strategies. Check these out.
6. Set boundaries, be firm and be consistent.
7. Demonstrate with your actions and tell them with your words that you believe in them.
8. Demonstrate with your actions and tell them with your words that you trust them.
9. Demonstrate with your actions and tell them with your words that you see the best in them and not always the worst.
10. Give them the gifts of grace, kindness, hopes and dreams.

Image credit:

“Relationships/Community” by tuchodi is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.