Fostering Educational Excellence Through

Relationships Presented by Dr. Rowlanda Cawthon

Assistant Professor, Northwest UniversityKirkland, Washington

@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

Session Purpose

Throughout the country, classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse. Drawing from the need for educators to transform themselves and their schools, we will explore how to create new knowledge through building soft skills and developing meaningful relationships with all students.

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Session Agenda

• Discuss why teaching matters every day for every student• Discuss managing diversity in the classroom• Review the need for educators to build relationships with

diverse student populations • Explore the influence of soft skills in developing

relationships and generating new knowledge in the classroom • Identify two realistic approaches to increase knowledge in

the classroom

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“

”

The best part of teaching is that it matters. The hardest

part of teaching is that every moment matters every day.

-Todd Whitaker

Fostering Educational Excellence Through Relationships

@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

Managing Diversity in the Classroom

Broadening the definition of diversity:

• Race/Ethnicity• Gender• Religion• Culture• Education• Socioeconomic • Language • Thinking Styles • Talent• Experiences

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Managing Diversity in the Classroom

Understanding the barriers to diversity:

• Unware of how students’ experiences influence their participation and engagement

• Lack of knowledge of students’ background and experiences

• Inability to tap into the real world experiences of student

• Lack of opportunity for students to harness their unique talents, gifts and abilities to foster new knowledge

• Inability to comprehend and communicate the value of diversity @ACBSPAccredited

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Need for Building Relationships with Students• Connection: “A sense of connection with teachers helps

students feel like they belong at the institution” (Duberstein, 2009, para. 3).

• Engagement: “When teachers form positive bonds with students, classrooms become supportive spaces in which students can engage in academically and socially productive ways” (Hamre & Pianta as cited in Gallagher, 2016, para. 2).

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Need for Building Relationships with Students• Self-Esteem: “Teacher-student relationships have an

impact on the academic self-esteem of students” (Ryan et al. as cited in Gallagher, 2016, para. 11).

• Motivation: “Motivation is closely linked to student’s perceptions of teacher expectations” (Gallagher, 2016, para. 8).

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Need for Building Relationships with Students• Adaption: “Faculty members who understand the

learning needs and interests of their students can appropriately tailor assignments, expectations, and conversations” (Duberstein, 2009, para. 3).

• Learning: “A clear explanation that relationships start as one-on-one efforts can help students see that faculty are approachable and often are willing mentors in the learning process” (Duberstein, 2009, para. 7).

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Need for Building Relationships with Students

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New Knowledge in the

Classrooom

Connection

Engagement

Self-Esteem

Motivation

Adaption

Learning

A Process for Creating New Knowledge in the ClassroomUnderstanding the diverse experiences and needs of students will create a safe environment where new knowledge is

birthed and students and educators grow as a result of the experience.

Soft Skills: Developing Relationships & Generating New Knowledge in the ClassroomIn the classroom, it’s not about your hard skills, it’s mostly about your soft skills or people skills. Some essential skills that are needed to develop relationship include:

• Communication skills• Listening skills• Interpersonal skills • Self-awareness• Emotion regulation• Trustworthiness • Perceptiveness • Leadership skills• Facilitating skills • Time management @ACBSPAccredited

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Application and Discussion

Individual Activity:

Identify two creative approaches that include the use of soft skills that you can immediately implement and/or suggest to another educator to increase knowledge in the classroom and develop authentic relationships with all students.

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“

”

Excellence in education is when we do everything that we can to make sure they

become everything that they can.

-Carol Ann Tomlinson

Fostering Educational Excellence Through Relationships

@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

References

Duberstein, A. (2009, March). Building student-faculty relationships. Academic Advising Today, 32(1). Retrieved from https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Academic-Advising-Today/View-Articles/Building-Student-Faculty-Relationships.aspx

Gallagher, E. (2016). The effects of teacher-student relationships :Social and academic outcomes of low-income middle and high school students. Retrieved from http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2013/fall/gallagher

@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016