We just wrapped up our division-level Back-to-School Nights. Of course, we don’t take attendance at these, but it is evident that the vast majority of our parents take time to sit in the place where their children do each day to learn more about our academic program.

I appreciate the work that the faculty members do to prepare for this event, and they look forward to the opportunity to connect with families.  We all share an interest in working together to foster a school community that nurtures creative and critical thought and that promotes student independence.  Teachers play such a critical role in modeling intellectual curiosity and helping students realize excellence in their studies, on the playing fields, and in the arts, drama, and music.  Einstein once said, "I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide conditions in which they can learn."  In this sense, teachers are the designers – they create the atmosphere that helps young people discover their understanding of the world; all the while, they work to empower students to have courage and be resilient.

 

There is much evidence that the power of the student-teacher relationship goes beyond the immediate learning in the classroom and has far reaching effects.

 

A few weeks ago, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote a great "back to school" piece that is worth sharing.  In "It Takes a Mentor," Friedman cites a Gallup Poll that finds the critical role the mentor relationship plays in a student's ultimate success.   Brandon Busteed, the Executive Director of Gallup's education division, notes the obsession that most Americans have with the college process. Busteed argues that, "How you got your education mattered most."  

In the study that Friedman analyzes, "Graduates who told Gallup that they had a professor or professors who cared about them as a person -- or had a mentor who encouraged their goals and dreams and/or had an internship where they applied what they were learning -- were twice as likely to be engaged at their work and thriving in their overall well-being."  

 

This all makes sense, particularly at a school like ours in which emphasize community and positive relationships between faculty and students.  What is sad is that of the college graduates cited in this Gallup study, "only 22% said they had such a mentor."

At Colorado Academy, we do a survey of our Ninth Graders on a host of issues. Two of the questions specifically ask about the student-faculty relationships. Sixty-eight percent of last year's Ninth Graders said that they had multiple adults in the community that they felt they knew well.  Ninety percent of our students said that they had multiple adults in the community that they could turn to if they were facing some kind of problem.  Our alumni  -- even many years hence -- cite their teachers as having a profound influence on their lives.

 

Friedman's article goes on to demonstrate that these relationships matter -- not just on a personal and happiness level -- but also in terms of preparing young people for the 21st century workplace.  I've written before on the power of mentoring and teacher-student relationships.  From the teacher perspective, there are few things as satisfying as witnessing that moment when a student develops a critical understanding of a difficult concept or when he or she can face down a challenge. Ultimately, it is in the student's hands -- free will, determination, and innate talents play a huge role -- but the commitment and concern of a teacher matters much.