The document summarizes a presentation about fostering educational excellence through relationships. It discusses the increasing diversity in classrooms and the need for educators to build relationships and develop soft skills to understand students from different backgrounds. Specific strategies are provided, such as using communication, listening and leadership skills, to help educators form connections with all students and generate new knowledge in the classroom.

1. Fostering Educational Excellence
Through Relationships
Presented by Dr. Rowlanda Cawthon
Assistant Professor, Northwest University
Kirkland, Washington
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

2. Session Purpose
Throughout the country, classrooms are becoming increasingly
diverse. Drawing from the need for educators to transform
themselves and their schools, we will explore how to create new
knowledge through building soft skills and developing meaningful
relationships with all students.
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

3. Session Agenda
• Discuss why teaching matters every day for every student
• Discuss managing diversity in the classroom
• Review the need for educators to build relationships with diverse
student populations
• Explore the influence of soft skills in developing relationships and
generating new knowledge in the classroom
• Identify two realistic approaches to increase knowledge in the
classroom
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

4. “
”
The best part of teaching is that
it matters. The hardest part of
teaching is that every moment
matters every day.
-Todd Whitaker
Fostering Educational Excellence Through Relationships
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

5. Managing Diversity in the Classroom
Broadening the definition
of diversity:
• Race/Ethnicity
• Gender
• Religion
• Culture
• Education
• Socioeconomic
• Language
• Thinking Styles
• Talent
• Experiences
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

6. Managing Diversity in the Classroom
Understanding the barriers to
diversity:
• Unware of how students’ experiences
influence their participation and
engagement
• Lack of knowledge of students’ background
and experiences
• Inability to tap into the real world
experiences of student
• Lack of opportunity for students to harness
their unique talents, gifts and abilities to
foster new knowledge
• Inability to comprehend and communicate
the value of diversity
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

7. Need for Building Relationships with Students
• Connection: “A sense of connection with teachers helps
students feel like they belong at the institution” (Duberstein,
2009, para. 3).
• Engagement: “When teachers form positive bonds with
students, classrooms become supportive spaces in which
students can engage in academically and socially productive
ways” (Hamre & Pianta as cited in Gallagher, 2016, para. 2).
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

8. Need for Building Relationships with Students
• Self-Esteem: “Teacher-student relationships have an impact on
the academic self-esteem of students” (Ryan et al. as cited in
Gallagher, 2016, para. 11).
• Motivation: “Motivation is closely linked to student’s
perceptions of teacher expectations” (Gallagher, 2016, para.
8).
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

9. Need for Building Relationships with Students
• Adaption: “Faculty members who understand the learning
needs and interests of their students can appropriately tailor
assignments, expectations, and conversations” (Duberstein,
2009, para. 3).
• Learning: “A clear explanation that relationships start as one-
on-one efforts can help students see that faculty are
approachable and often are willing mentors in the learning
process” (Duberstein, 2009, para. 7).
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

10. Need for Building Relationships with Students
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016
New
Knowledge
in the
Classrooom
Connection
Engagement
Self-Esteem
Motivation
Adaption
Learning
A Process for Creating
New Knowledge in the Classroom
Understanding the diverse experiences and
needs of students will create a safe
environment where new knowledge is birthed
and students and educators grow as a result of
the experience.

11. Soft Skills: Developing Relationships &
Generating New Knowledge in the Classroom
In the classroom, it’s not about your hard
skills, it’s mostly about your soft skills or
people skills. Some essential skills that are
needed to develop relationship include:
• Communication skills
• Listening skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Self-awareness
• Emotion regulation
• Trustworthiness
• Perceptiveness
• Leadership skills
• Facilitating skills
• Time management
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

12. Application and Discussion
Individual Activity:
Identify two creative approaches that include the use of
soft skills that you can immediately implement and/or
suggest to another educator to increase knowledge in
the classroom and develop authentic relationships with
all students.
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

13. “
”
Excellence in education is when
we do everything that we can to
make sure they become
everything that they can.
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
Fostering Educational Excellence Through Relationships
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016

14. References
Duberstein, A. (2009, March). Building student-faculty relationships. Academic
Advising Today, 32(1). Retrieved from
https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Academic-Advising-Today/View-
Articles/Building-Student-Faculty-Relationships.aspx
Gallagher, E. (2016). The effects of teacher-student relationships :Social and
academic outcomes of low-income middle and high school students. Retrieved
from http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2013/fall/gallagher
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016