Your Students' Trust is an Absolute Must!

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Introduction: As educators/adults we understand that our students love to learn, it's just up to us to find the key to unlock that door. We hold that learning is a natural and basic aspect of childhood, that is innate to each and every student. We have all experienced occasions when our students are swept away in learning experiences, when the subject matter, the mode of learning, time and setting all come together and engage and engross their eager young minds and the magic of learning unfolds before us. This is the wonder of pliable young minds created for just such occasions.

Yet, the reality of what takes place in our classrooms and other learning settings is often a far different reality. In worse case scenarios we march are students in, sit them down and lecture to them, run them through their lessons, stations, and worksheets, question/interrogate them in front of their peers, test them again and again thus institutionalizing the organic experience of learning into the educational equivalent of the assembly line. Even when using  models where we differentiate and scaffold which speak to the individuality of the learner provide learning experiences which speak to the more current understanding of educational best practices, we as educators and adults can lose sight of a foundational reality. Learning can be, and often is a very scary experience!

Learning ask our students to take chances, venture into the unknown, often vulnerable and powerless within the learning environment. Students try things they’ve never tried before, risk being wrong, often again and again. They engage in learning activities which are new to them often being asked to do this in full view of their peers. As the adult, teacher, and authority in the room we as teachers hold all the power, set the rules, and define the parameters of success and failure.

The question therefore becomes, how do we address the reality that learning often places the student in such a compromising and frightening position? Research indicates that addressing such realities and optimize student performance speaks to the development of trust between student and teacher. Such trust is not just a theoretic concept which serves as the bases of catch phrases and professional development workshops. It is in fact a physical reality carried out via chemical reactions in the brains of humans. The release of the brain chemical oxytocin induces individuals to exhibit trust in their relationships. The creation and release of oxytocin is supported when individuals feel as easy and comfortable in their relationships and settings (i.e. they don’t feel threatened or at risk) (Zak, 2017). To cultivate such realities often calls on the educator to employ best practices, taking great care to meet students at their point of need. To mindfully and proactively addressed the reality that trust in relationships is not a given, rather it is gained through purposeful engagement and practice on the part of the educators aimed at cultivating and nurturing it in their students.

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Hospitality: A starting point to developing trust relates to the hospitality that we exhibit as we invite our students into our classrooms/learning environments. We must greet them unconditionally making clear that they enter the environment without the fear of rejection or judgement. As educators we must throw ourselves into the process of removing any barriers to learning that may speak to the individuality of the learner. Such barriers not only act as natural encumbrances to the learning process, but also may send powerful messages that the student is not welcome or considered in the environment that they are being asked to operate in.

In addition, the teacher must also open themselves up, divesting themselves of many of the vestiges and suggestions of authority that can stand in the way of trust. It is one thing to be the responsible professional/adult in the room leading, guiding, and caring for the learning community. And another thing all together to be an authoritarian figure, lording over those in their charge. Students must understand that learning is a partnership where trust is a two way street where both teacher and learner are trusting the other to fulfill their parts of the learning equation.

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Trust: There are several key practices that foster trust in relationships reducing of stress and lowering of defensive barriers (Zak, 2017). First, is the before mentioned greeting of students into the classroom environment. Next, is to take time to recognize and celebrate successes when they take place during learning. Additionally, it is vital that learning goals be clearly identified, articulated, manageable, and attainable goals. Such goals remove shadows of doubt relative to failure and success and prevent leadership which is never satisfied only fixating on ever extended achievement horizons which frustrate followers. Also, as much as possible allow students choice in how they work and with whom they work with. This is not always possible, but when it is, it speaks powerfully to issues of differentiation and appreciation of individual differences and needs. Next, be as open and transparent as possible in communications. Share feelings, reflections, and concerns openly with individuals and groups. Also look to serve and develop the whole learner. Education is about more than just academic achievement, it’s about all the other lessons and skills needed to succeed in the wider world. Students may struggle to succeed academically but flourish as individuals, this should not be lost to the teacher or student. Finally, the teacher should show vulnerability and humanness. It’s one thing to be a strong, steady, influence in the classroom which students can turn to. It is another thing altogether to disingenuously portray oneself as perfect, immune to the frustrations and fears that students commonly feel. Such portrayals are false and foster distrust, robbing students of realistic role models that they can look to as they develop their own self-image (Zak, 2017).

Conclusion: Trust is a foundational component of the student, educator relationship. Trust, is the byproduct of chemical reactions in the brain, created by safe, secure learning environments, brought about by educational best practices. Simply stated, without trust, students’ brains are not in the optimal condition to learn. Conversely, when trust is present students' brains are primed to engage, embrace, explore, lacking fear and apprehension. They are more likely to establish positive learning relationships with their teachers and are more willing to take the risks and chances which often accompany the learning of new skills. With such realities in place it would seem self-evident that the benefits of trusting relationships far outweigh the efforts needed to establish and nurture them.

References

Hung, R. (2013). Education Hospitality and Trust in Teacher-Student Relationships: A Derridarian Visiting. Studies in Philosophy & Education, 32(1), 87-99.

Zak, P. J. (2017). The Neuroscience of Trust. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from www.hbr.org