Chapman teachers work to make students feel valued
Journalism teacher Alex Hollis works with yearbook staff members. Hollis is known for building strong relationships.
Teachers and students have a relationship like no other, spending 180 days together in the classroom. Chapman teachers make it a point to create and keep relationships with their students year after year.
Teachers feel accomplished when students go out into the real world and use the content that they have learned in past years
“You can still keep that relationship with that student and see where they’re going,” said social studies teacher Rebecca Williams.
Occasionally, the relationship outlasts the content, and for some teachers, that’s okay.
“I think the relationship is more important sometimes than the content is,” said English teacher Holly Hollifield.
When teachers and students build a relationship, it keeps the student participating and engaged. When students know that they can go to a teacher, not just about school, but also about what’s going on in their everyday life, it helps to advance that teacher-student relationship.
“I believe that students will learn more and do more,” said English teacher Susan Hall.
It is sometimes hard for students to see their teacher as just a normal everyday person, not just an instructor.
“I think it helps them know that you care about them as a person, not just someone in their class,” said journalism teacher Alex Hollis.
Students can see how much their teachers truly care about them and how much work they put in every day.
“They can see that their teachers actually care about them and not just the grade they make in the class,” said science teacher Lindsay McMinn.
A major part of starting a relationship with your teacher starts from day one. Students appreciate the conversations that can occur early on.
“Coming in on the first day, talking to them, asking questions about them (is important), and they get to know you, too,” said senior Dalton Mahaffey.
“I feel like I learn better when I’m connected with the teacher,” said senior Ellie Mitchell.
Ultimately, the goal of any student-teacher relationship should be to help the student succeed in class.
“That way you know what is going on with the students, so that way you can better teach the student,” said Williams.
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