Teacher-Student Relationships
"Goodness without knowledge is weak and feeble, yet knowledge without goodness is dangerous, and that both united form the noblest character, and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind."
John Phillips, Founder of Phillips Exeter Academy
At the core of everything we do with our students is the relationship we have with them. Alumni consistently talk about how their relationships with their teachers are what they cherish the most about their time here. We know that students learn best when they believe that we care about them as people first. They are also constantly looking to us as models of character and behaviour, whether we are interacting with them in the classroom, at school events, on the sports field or court, on trips, or online. We also need to be professional at all times with them, being mindful that our role as mentor is paramount.
Discussion Prompts
2. Describe a relationship you have had with a student that you think was or is excellent.
3. What might cause students to think that we don’t care about them?
4. What kinds of things do we need to consider when interacting with students in a variety of settings? What are some of the pitfalls that we can encounter?
5. How is the advisor role special in regards to student relationships? Is it in a good place now or can we do more?