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    TOOLKIT

    Build Trust with Your Students and Families

    A parent, teacher, and student fistbump and smile.

    In the Classroom

    Build Trust with the Group

    Whether you’ve got 20 students or 200, it can be helpful to begin strengthening your relationships with them by building community and learning a little bit about all of your students. In class, you can use icebreakers to help students share who they are, help the students get to know each other more deeply by using morning meetings to spotlight a student of the day, and throughout the year you can have students check in about how they’re doing emotionally with a word or an emoji.

    Get to Know Students Personally​

    The best way to build relationships with students is simply to talk to them, and to listen with focus and curiosity to what they say. Begin the year by giving a student interest survey– this will help you know what kinds of questions to ask students when you talk to them one-on-one. As you learn about your students, keep track of the important interests and people in their lives and refer back to those touchpoints when you’re checking in with them one on one or talking to them outside of class!

    Support Students in Taking Academic Risks​

    Building on a strong foundation of trust, you can become a “warm demander” by being honest with your students about where they are academically and making a plan for their learning and academic growth with them. You can use 1:1 conferences to set challenging goals with them, break down those goals into achievable steps, and let them know how you will support them along the way.

    Ask for Feedback from Students​

    Getting the perspectives of our students can help us develop a better understanding of how we show up in the classroom. One way to do this is to ask students for their open and honest feedback about their experiences in our class—not just at the end of the year, but throughout the year.

    Beyond the Classroom

    Ask Families about Their Hopes and Dreams

    Connecting with families is an essential part of getting to know your students. Start by asking families about their hopes and dreams for their children through a survey or during a conference. In addition to building trust with the family, you will also gain valuable information about their child’s interests, background, prior experiences with school, and home life.

    Stay Connected to Families

    Making time to connect with families, without the agenda of a parent teacher conference, can be an invaluable tool for building trust and mutual understanding. Home visits are especially impactful earlier in the school year to create a strong foundation for the relationship between teacher and family. Setting up a visit at the family’s home is ideal when it’s possible, because it gives families an opportunity to get to know you on their own terms and where they are most comfortable, but connecting with families in other positive ways can also be impactful

    Get to Know the Community

    Especially if you are teaching in a neighborhood where you don’t live, getting to know the community is a great way to connect with families. You can do some of your shopping at the local grocery store, visit the local park, or attend school and community events. Alternatively, you can involve community members in your class. Whether you're connecting inside or outside the classroom, you will begin to develop an appreciation for the community and find points of connection.