Maya Angelou (nd) stated, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In this quote, she was sending a message to people to never under estimate the impact that positive, healthy relationships can have in people’s lives. When I think about my own life, I attribute who I am and the decisions I have made to people who have invested in me- my friends, my church leaders, my parents, my husband and my teachers. Maya Angelou’s quote is powerful and true, yet for some reason, it’s often overlooked and dismissed.
In the article, “Unveiling the Promise of Community Cultural Wealth to Sustaining Latina/o Students’ College-Going Informational Networks” Liou, Gonzalez R., and Robert Cooper examined high school structures, specifically investigating the factors that have and have not contributed to educational advancement in students who are low-income and of color. They noted, “all the participants in our study talked about the potential impact that caring school adults could add to their high academic achievement” (P.549). There was one common thread that was continually being emphasized- the importance of positive relationships.
There is substantial evidence that positive relationships play an essential role in the academic success of our students. Rojas (2011) describes Zymbylas’ (2003) study regarding interrelations between pedagogical content knowledge and emotional knowledge in teaching and learning. After reading the findings, Rojas explains, “Zymbylas is pointing to the fact that being a teacher is more than knowing content, it is about establishing relationships with students to help connect them to the content. A skilled mathematician does not automatically translate to a skilled teacher, as teaching involves unique relationships with others” (p. 17). This study substantiates the important role that relationships play in teaching. Both Zembylas and Rojas are sending a message to teachers that in order to teach well, you must know your students so that you can make the content relevant and meaningful for them.
Liou et al. echo this idea and state, “research also suggests that students who have caring, supportive adults involved in their lives perform better academically” (p. 536). One might argue that having the ability to build positive relationships is a non-negotiable quality for our teachers. Although content and pedagogical knowledge are important, if a teacher lacks the ability to form relationships with his/her students, it could affect how much the students learn.
When I think about what it means be relational, the first thing that comes to mind is having a genuine care and concern for others. One must have the desire to get to know students on personal levels- their background, their families, their experiences, and their interests. When we have the desire to truly get to know our students and develop caring relationships with them, I believe we begin to value what they value, which in turn, influences teaching practices.
Liou et al. state, “these relationships enable the construction to have collective understandings around emotional, educational, and occupational consciousness” (p. 538). Is it possible that teacher preparation programs have been focusing on the wrong things? Maybe we need to shift our efforts to supporting teachers with the relational and emotional skills needed to influence students. Through relationships, teachers can use their knowledge of students to help make content meaningful. Without genuine relationships, how are culturally relevant pedagogical practices informed?
References
Liou, D., Anthrop-Gonzalez, R. & Cooper, R (2009). Unveiling the Promise of Community Cultural Wealth to Sustaining Latina/o Students’ College-Going Information Networks. Educational Studies, (45), 534-555.
Maya Angelou. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved June 24, 2014, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mayaangelo392897.html
Rojas, Michelle. (2012) The Missing Link: Emotional Intelligence in Teacher Preparation.