ReKnight’s Post

What’s the point in learning this? Every student asks this at least once. And now, it’s getting asked more and more, with so many increasing ways to develop a career and make money. It’s quickly becoming a main point of discussion, and ever quicker, a point of disruption by many. It’s no grand discovery that technology and education are changing at such a rapid rate. With endless streams of information available at their fingertips, students are constantly questioning the relevance of traditional education.  There has NEVER been a more important time to powerfully develop student-teacher relationships. Here’s how we’ve done it Australia-wide with boys: 1) Meet Them Them Where They’re at (both literally and figuratively): It’s quite rare for us to see boys rolling their eyes when we facilitate, and it’s even rarer for us to see them yawn. Why? Because we’ve learnt through thousands of iterations to READ THE ROOM, and work with what we see. If they are tired, we pivot & energise. If they are too energetic, we use it and refocus the rom. 2) Make Rapport & Trust the Guiding Light: Rapport & Trust blast through the “what’s the point” question head-on. When boys feel that their teachers understand and care about them as individuals, they’re more likely to engage in their education. They begin to see learning not as a chore but as a meaningful activity that has real-world relevance. We ALL have a DEEP instinctual desire to trust and respect the person we are learning from. My esoteric/truth seeking brain spasms when I hear teacher’s say “I’m here to teach, not to deal with wellbeing or form relationships” It’s like a firefighter saying “I’m here to spray water, not rescue people” - The gap between what is taught and what is learned will only continue to widen, making the task of educating the next generation more challenging than ever. It’s time to put relationship building skills on high beam. #Education #Schools #Educationalleadership #Principal #Wellbeing