The Road Less Traveled: Setting Clear Expectations and Building Bonds in The Classroom

By: Mohamad Abdellatif, EC Oakland Cohort 5 Fellow

With an ever-developing educational system, filled with potholes, U-turns, and narrow streets, the life at school should be ever-changing, as its youth learners are everlasting. There are a continuous number of questions posed amongst my peers. One, for instance: “How do I talk to my teachers?” But what really does connection in the realm of education mean through the academic world?

Courage is among the four values upheld by the school I attend. However, how can courage be applied? This can be achieved through various means, such as engaging in structured activities, conducting one-on-one check-ins with students and teachers, or implementing an organized system in which students can be set up for success and gain trust through the idea that there is structure in their classroom. Strong classroom culture must be upheld with effective disciplinary actions paired with a student-teacher bond of feelings toward humanity.

Teacher-Student Relationships Are Weird

Experiencing a sense of belonging in the classroom, where you invest 30% of your life in exploring your identity and self desires, should lay the groundwork for personal growth. It readies you for the wonders of the world. While injustice persists in the American education system, this, however, is not the immediate focus, though it is a fundamental issue. A survey conducted by RAND delved into the notion of belonging in classrooms across three school branches: Private schools reported 56%, while Charter schools had 36%, and Public schools stood at 21%. Why so low, you may ask? Well, the size of a classroom plays a huge role in the self-awareness of young youth. If I see people striving for success and my surroundings taught me of the notion of failure and persistence, you will dig your trail leading to your success.

Only a fraction experienced a connection with their teachers, individuals whose job is to lay the foundation for the futures of this world, should give rise to concern. With the challenges of mental health and a lack of self-worth among young people, there should be an even greater emphasis on student-teacher connection, as studies have shown through the University of Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania that a student is likely to try 98% more in the class if having a connection with their teacher/school.

I Want To Be Set For The World

Many high school students simply aim to navigate through each day and move on with the week. Nevertheless, why do the youth often have such negative perceptions of the American education system? Is it due to its perceived dullness, outdated methods, or simply a waste of their time? Here’s one reason: the lack of connection. To connect means to establish links, forge bonds, and establish contact. For a student to appreciate being in a teacher’s classroom, there must first be a clear set of disciplinary actions aligned with the teacher’s vision of the space, consistently upheld. This should be paired with a genuine desire to understand each student and engage through their daily interactions, whether through a simple greeting or a designated class bonding day, also maintained consistently.

As the world evolves, high school’s must aim to equip students for future challenges. It’s about building upon past solutions to foster separation from ideas that do not align with the needs of students. As 5.3 million graduating students strive to reduce stress and in hopes of increasing problem-solving, advocacy, and amplifying voices, empowering students with essential life skills ensures my peer and I the duty to uphold the notion of fostering community and the key to one of humanity’s greatest challenges: friendship and effective communication.