Educational Leadership: Kelationships First: How Does Trust Happen? Page 1 of 3
ie EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Home! Current issue! Archives Buy | Contact
September 2016 | Volume 74 | Number 1
Relationships First Pages 7-7
Perspectives / How Does Trust Happen?
Marge Scherer
Ina recent TED Radio Hour’ called "How Does 1) pen in Music?”
orchestra conductor Charles Hazlewood recalls that during his early days as
a professional, his conducting sometimes resembled a “rabid windmill." The
‘more forceful his body language, the less his orchestra members complied. BUY THIS ISSUE
The more disappointed he became, the more his direction became a blur.
Trust erodes when you don't embody it yourself, he learned.
He later directed a racially diverse group of South African singers, some of
whom had previously been bitter enemies. And he founded another
ensemble made up of musicians with severe disabilities, many of whom had pioapee aa
‘ever had the opportunity to play instruments together. From these
disparate groups, he learned that the creation of music relies on trust and
‘builds more trust. Yes, the conductor needs to have a “cast-iron understanding ol {/\! Ovi orcas
architecture of the music,” but he or she also has to trust the players to revealthe music's inner
‘Truth. He came to believe that conducting music i ike holding a bird. Hold too tightly, you Crysh it
hold too loosely, it fies away.
The theme of this issue of Educational Leadership echoes these music lessons. A com Plt art \) there
ever was one, building relationships is the foundational skill. Without trust, no amount o& content
knowledge, pedagogical know-how, or formative assessment is likely to move stuns ¢o want to
learn from you. Here's what our authors have to say about the fine art of bulding, Sutin
‘relationships.
‘No Scripts Here. What works for one class, one demographic population, one special kid, May Or may
‘not work for anather. As Elizabeth Bondy and Elyse Hambachernote, "Careisinthe eyes of the
receiver.”
“Our students’ knowledge that they are cared for depends on what we do far moy¢ than on whot we.
Say." writes EvicToshals. He helps teachers explore the ways in which they connect with id phvouale
a Series of questions: Do you expect trust to come too quickly? Do your choices ot} Co mphimenyy.
http://www ased.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept! 6/vol74/num01/How-Does-... 10/4/2016‘Educational Leadership: Kelationships First: How Woes ‘Lrust Happen’ vage 2013
questions, and reprimands contradict the values you hold? Do you take a student 5 atti tude
personally?
‘Know Whot Kids Need. Knowing kids' realities is essential, as is avoiding stereotyp°S. Susan G4
provides insights about children who have witnessed or experienced early traumo. in tM Cir bis
Whether through iliness, accident, or abuse, trauma affects one quarter of childré sin Fhe United
States before the age of four. Another group that faces challenges in schools stucitnts with ADHD
Lisa Medott describes some of those challenges in a story about Baxter, a boy sh@ ot tars Sound howl
to like. She offers recommendations for persevering in a respectful manner infused oi th numer
Acknowledge Gender and Cultural Differences. in a culturally diverse wor'd, pretending $0 oe Culture
blind reinforces the status quo. Miciae! C. Reichert believes itis time to ask, How can we YCACH those
boys, often erroneously characterized as relationship-averse, who are turned off «+