Classroom Focus: Relating to others to improve learning

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Teaching and learning this week– Relating to others
Empathy; Non-judgemental recognition of how others are situated.

Relationships—The Fourth R


As educators, we need to see the importance of adding a fourth R—Relationships—to the 3 Rs of Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic. Our students need to learn more about how to create and sustain healthy relationships. Because they are bombarded daily with many unhealthy behaviour models from the media, society, and even their families and peers, students often cannot figure out this huge gray area of what is good for them and what is bad. We need to give students tools for reflecting on their options and making sound choices.

See: Peggy Calhoun : December 2000/January 2001 | Volume 4 | Number 4 The Changing Context of Education

Clarifying relationships in the classroom: How to extend "the relating to others" competency into the learning environment


At the heart of learning is the idea that students who truly understand and are involved in their learning have accelerated rates of achievement. In order for students to have this participation in their learning, a genuine learning-focused relationship must exist in the classroom, between students and students and students and teachers.
A learning-focused relationship involves three key areas:

  • shared development and maintenance of a learning environment in the classroom

  • sharing the locus of control between teacher and students

  • involving parents/whānau in student learning.


The learning environment


Teachers and students are active and committed participants in creating and maintaining a classroom environment that best promotes learning and meets the learning needs of students. Teachers and students regularly check the quality of this environment.

The classroom is focused on learning and students can describe their contribution to the learning process.

The locus of control


There is greater ownership of the lesson by students as responsibility shifts from teacher to student for learning. Content, process, and choice of learning are experienced as co-constructed.

The teacher empowers students to be independent learners who have a commitment to evaluating and adjusting their learning to meet their needs.

Involving parents in student learning


The teacher enables students to lead conversations about their learning with parents.
"Learning-focused relationships are about using the considerable potential in the relationship between teacher and student to maximise the student’s engagement with learning; about enabling the student to play a meaningful role in deciding what to learn and how to learn it; and about enabling the student to become a confident, resilient, active, self-regulating learner."
See : Absolum, M. (2006). Clarity in the classroom and TKI.

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