By mastering the 12 foundational competencies, educators can build a solid foundation for continued growth. The competencies are a subset of those outlined in the Educator Competencies for Personalized, Learner-Centered Environments, created to empower a growing number of teachers to implement and scale up a transformation of their classrooms into places of personalized, student-centered learning. While Educator Competencies explores many areas, 12 competencies were flagged as foundational and ‘prerequisite’ to all others, including building strong relationships.
Build strong relationships
Build strong relationships with students, peers, families and learning community members that contribute to individual and collective success
Teachers who build strong relationships:
- Develop relationships with students that support their social and emotional growth
- Create collaborative partnerships with peers within the school
- Build relationships with families and community members
Strong relationships with students support their social and emotional growth. In this video a middle school teacher from Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School talks about building connections with her students to create a welcoming and safe environment. Teachers of any grade will appreciate her tips for forging meaningful relationships.
When shifting to a more student-centered learning environment, community members can be valuable partners. This short video documents a community learning walk at a high school in Meriden, Connecticut. Educators interact with business and community members as they tour classrooms and engage in a debriefing session. The visitors’ take-aways emphasize the impact a simple strategy can have on the community’s perception of changes at a school.
Learn more about this and other competencies, as well as how to transform classrooms into places of personalized, student-centered learning, by interacting with Educator Competencies for Personalized, Learner-Centered Environments.
