Course 8: Developing Relationships

Foundations of Teaching for Learning

Professor Tony Townsend and Dr Fawaz Shareef
Commonwealth Education Trust
Course 8: Developing Relationships

Week 1: The Importance of Relationships

Lecture 1: What are the things that promote growth in humans?
Professor Tony Townsend
 What are Human Relations?

• According to Encyclopedia.com human relations covers all types of

interactions among people
– Conflicts
– Cooperative efforts
– Group Relationships
• It is the study of why our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours
sometimes cause interpersonal conflict in our personal lives and in
work-related situations
 Relationships Matter

• Not just the teacher-student relationship but all of the

relationships in a school community.
• Deepening positive relationships can be a powerful
tool.
• Quality relationships don’t “just happen” – they have
to be intentionally nurtured and cultivated.
 Good Relationships Increase Student Success
and Lower Risky Behaviour
 Students who feel connected to school are
• More likely to attend school
• Less likely to smoke cigarettes
• More likely to stay in school longer
• Less likely to drink alcohol
• More likely to have higher grades • Less likely to use drugs
and test scores • Less likely to have emotional problems
• Less likely to experience suicidal
 Students with feelings of closeness with their thoughts
teacher have been shown to • Less likely to carry weapons
• Less likely to become involved in
• Work harder in school
violence
• Spend more time on homework
• Less likely to be involved in dangerous
• Receive better grades
activities
• Have more confidence in their ability
Components of Healthy Relationships:

• Communication
• Trust
• Respect
• Love
 How Can Teachers Foster Good
Relationships?

• Greet people (students, colleagues, parents)

• Smile at people (they will usually smile back)
• Call people by name (so learn how to remember them)
• Be friendly and helpful (so they will be too)
• Be cordial (make them feel that you really like knowing
them)
What Do We Mean by “Mindset”?

Mindsets are the assumptions and

expectations we have for ourselves and
others. These attitudes guide our
behaviour and influence our responses to
daily events.
Robert Brooks
 Fixed or Growth
Mindset?

Intelligence is something you have or Intelligence can be developed

don’t have
• Embraces challenges
• Avoids challenges • Keeps going when things get difficult
• Gives up easily • Sees effort as the path to mastery
• Sees effort as a waste of time • Learns from feedback
• Ignores feedback • Takes inspiration from the success of
• Feels threatened by the success of others
others
Carole Dweck
 When Do You Feel Smart?
Fixed mindset:
 “When I don’t make any
mistakes.”
 “It’s when I finish first and it’s
perfect.”
 “When something is easy for me
and others can’t do it.”
Growth mindset:
 “When it’s really hard, and I try
hard, and I can do something I
couldn’t do before.”
 “When I work on something a
long time and finally figure it
out.”
 Promoting a Growth Mindset
 Practice what you preach
 Emphasize the joy of learning for learning’s sake
 Set appropriately high expectations and provide support
 Be mindful of the goals you set for your students and the messages they send
 Praise effort, practice, and process – not outcome
 Use failures as an opportunity for reflection and growth
 Provide honest, constructive criticism that emphasizes growth
 Make concrete plans for growth
 Point out the perseverance/ effort of favorite athletes and stars
 Take reasonable risks, and encourage your students to do so
 Activity

• What are some of the things that can promote growth in our students?
• Maybe the first step is to consider what might be the case for all
people and then to consider how this applies to students (and other
people associated with schools)
• Fill in the worksheet called ‘Promoting growth as a Human Being’
• If you would like to find out how what you think compares with other
people, scan and email your worksheet to
tonytownsend@hotmail.com.
 Next Session

In our next session we will look at

the various elements that make
up human relationships.
 Foundations of Teaching for Learning

Copyright Notice
Course 8: Week 1, Lecture 1
Slides © Commonwealth Education Trust. All Rights Reserved.

1, 15 Image: http://www.schneiderb.com/social-media-its-about-the-relationships/

2, 14 Images: © schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org