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Relationships are a foundational part of students’ school lives, shaping almost everything about their school experience. Positive developmental relationships make students feel included and engaged, while helping them succeed.
In the edLeader Panel “Fostering Relationships for Student Motivation, Well-Being, and a Positive School Climate,” Sara White, Director of Teacher Development for Minnetonka Public Schools (MN), Dr. Brooke Rice, Vice President of Curriculum and Work-Based Learning for NAF, Monica Dixon, Senior Director of Solutions for Search Institute, and Dr. Benjamin Houltberg, President and CEO of Search Institute, had a conversation about building developmental relationships that will help students reach their goals both in school and life.
Developmental Relationships: Critical for Student Success
Developmental relationships are relationships where students grow as people and learn to engage with and thrive in the world around them, while also succeeding in school. They show students that there are adults who care about them, which makes them much more likely to put forward effort in schoolwork, too.
Students in developmental relationships contribute more in class and develop a sense of belonging, as well as the confidence to pursue goals beyond school. Not only are their developmental needs met and their senses of self and autonomy grown, but they’re connected to opportunities and resources that let them become part of the world outside of school.
While teachers are often already helping students grow by challenging them in the classroom, building developmental relationships means they need to share power and further expand possibilities for their students. Let students share their needs and influence how these relationships are built. Listen to their input. Each student deserves a chance to thrive and create climates and cultures where they can celebrate themselves and be curious about the world around them. They need developmental relationships where they feel comfortable doing so.
How to Nurture Developmental Relationships
Two strategies to nurture relationships with students are being intentional and being inclusive; both are best done by elevating student voices. When initially trying a developmental relationship mindset, there’s often a gap between what teachers feel they’re expressing and what students experience, such as how warm a teacher comes across.
By using surveys to collect data, administrators can work with organizations, such as Search Institute, to look at how different groups of students experience developmental relationships in order to set yearly goals and develop action plans to close gaps. By giving students a voice using tools such as surveys, focus groups, and recordings, teachers can discover ways to close the gaps with students and foster those stronger relationships for better student outcomes and experiences.
The heart of developmental relationships is giving students opportunities to grow and become part of the world around them. By connecting with the community, students gain access to opportunities and new relationships that can bring out valuable traits to help them in all parts of life.
Schools must provide these chances for students to connect to the real world. Work-based learning allows students to work with community partners, fostering a sense of belonging while developing skills they’ll need to pursue goals beyond school. Teachers—who know their students well—can help them make connections and find opportunities (many internships and jobs come from connections!). Positive relationships with others contribute largely to student growth and success.
Upward mobility comes from connecting with a community that wants to give back, and working with students gives community-based partners an opportunity to do so. Students engaged in work-based learning report a better understanding of why schoolwork is important and applicable to the real world, and that they feel people outside of school care about their success.
Developmental relationships set students up for success by giving them support and opportunities to thrive in life. Teachers see what their students need, and students grow as people and make valuable connections to the world around them.
Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Fostering Relationships for Student Motivation, Well-Being, and a Positive School Climate, sponsored by Search Institute.