This presentation was a webinar given on 28th April for BRAZ-TESOL. In our hectic routine as classroom teachers we are sometimes ambushed by our daily teaching processes. This may mean we focus excessively on teaching the coursebook, preparing for tests and generating assessment results, rather than focus on the individual learner in our class. Teaching is so much more than covering content. Teaching is about forming relationship bonds with learners, which subsequently allows us to foster the type of creative, effective and affective learning environment which stimulates language development. This webinar will explore the many ways in which we can develop this empathetic atmosphere in class.