Often times, education is referred to as the "three Rs." The "three Rs," as many of you know, stand for the subject areas of reading, writing and arithmetic. Without question, the quality of life and the contribution a student is able to make to society is strongly correlated to the quality of education he or she has gained. Of course, reading, writing and math knowledge and skills serve as the foundation for virtually all areas of learning. However, there is a fourth "R" in education that is also vitally important in helping students succeed in school and in life. That fourth "R" is relationship.
There is a great deal of research that supports what our own life experience and observation makes very clear to us. Among the essential things children need in order to learn and succeed are adults who care about them and who make them feel they matter. As educators, we have opportunities every day to develop caring and supportive relationships with our students. The quality and level of our relationship with students significantly affects how receptive they are to the experiences, skills, and guidance we offer them.
Forming influential relationships with children follows a progression from simple to more complex. Relationship development begins by getting to know a child's name and learning something about him. Talking with, listening to and observing children enable us to identify and encourage their strengths and talents. By showing genuine interest in and value for them as individuals we build their trust. The more children trust the adults in their lives the more likely they are to respond positively to efforts to help them take their strengths to a higher level and set personal goals. Likewise, children are far more willing to accept rules and consequences when they are established by adults who they know respect and desire the best for them.
An organization called the Search Institute has identified a list of 40 important "developmental assets" that significantly help children succeed. Children develop these assets as a result of supportive and caring adult relationships. Developmental assets are like building blocks-- behaviors, attitudes, experiences and values--that help children to grow up healthy, caring and responsible. The 40 assets the Search Institute identified fall within eight categories: support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time, commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity.
School communities are in a position to directly affect more than half of these important developmental assets. In order to maximize our influence, all adults must see their interactions with a child as an asset building moment.
Educators help students build assets simply by the nature of our profession. Much of this asset building is unintentional. The more we learn about how developmental assets affect a child's success and quality of life, the more we recognize the need to build assets intentionally.
Jones Elementary School is proud to be an exemplary school in an exemplary school district. We continue to work hard in developing curriculum and instructional practices that are enabling our students to move toward greater academic excellence. As we continue to work hard at the science of our profession, we clearly understand that foundational to all we do is who we are and how we relate to children. Our effectiveness in teaching knowledge and skills in subject areas depends greatly on the relationships we build with our students.