Relationship: The Third “R”

On occasion, my office is brightened by parents who stop to share how pleased they are with their children’s education in Whitefish.

Not long ago, I had two such pleasant experiences within a few short days. One mother shared with me that her son, who had been worried about his transition to high school, had experienced a “complete turn-around.” He now enjoyed school, felt at home with new friends, and actually did his homework without the usual daily reminders. His mother claimed that 90 percent of her son’s remarks were about one particular teacher who made learning fun, cared about each student, and exhibited “a ton of energy” every day.

Soon after that conversation, the father of one of our elementary students dropped by my office to share his daughter’s experiences. His young daughter had been timid in class, and had always demonstrated average skills in reading and other disciplines.

This year, however, something had changed. His daughter’s teacher had introduced the class to literacy by inviting students to read books of their own choice, journal on topics they cared most about, and share thoughtfully in classroom discussions concerning stories and experiences that were on their minds.

The father explained, “[She] now reads and writes passionately about everything from school friends, to make-believe, to the horrors of having to eat cauliflower at dinner.”

He went on to say that his family is now regularly summoned to the living room sofa facing the fireplace mantle, where the budding author stands to perform her own works.

Both conversations illustrate the impact of the relationship between teacher and learner.

Obviously, when teachers are able to build strong relationships with and among students, learning improves. Less obviously, these relationships are not merely helpful, they are critical.

As education researcher Robert Marzano points out, “Positive relationships between teachers and students are among the most commonly cited variables associated with effective instruction … A weak or negative relationship will mute or negate the benefits of even the most effective instructional strategies.”

Compelling current research demonstrates that students are more likely to make a personal commitment to engage in rigorous learning when they know teachers, parents, and other students actually care about them. In fact, students in schools where teachers faithfully use personalized teaching approaches perform better on statewide assessments of mathematics and reading skills than their peers at schools that do not use responsive and personalized strategies.

Teachers and leaders cannot underestimate the sheer power of relationships in making our schools more effective. We must ask ourselves these questions regularly: Do our students consider school a good place to be? Do they feel a sense of belonging? Do they know we are interested in their success and well-being? Do they see how much we care about them?

When educators describe “The new 3 Rs: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationship,” they know relationships are not just “fluff.” Our work to bring each Whitefish student to high achievement levels means that in every classroom, for every student, our teachers and leaders must establish community and trust.

When students trust their teachers, they grant them the moral authority to challenge them to higher levels of achievement. And when our students achieve, we all succeed.

— Kate Orozco is the superintendent of

Whitefish schools