Establishing and forging meaningful relationships with students at the start of the school year can be challenging — students often have diverse backgrounds, needs, and personalities, and they need to feel a sense of trust in order to be vulnerable about their learning needs, their personal opinions, and their challenges.

In this episode we're taking a journey into our podcast archives to a conversation with Kelsey Hammond, a former ELA teacher and Lead Professional Development Coach, and Victoria Fernandez, a former Math/Special Education teacher and Lead Professional Development Coach about the importance of building relationships that foster a positive learning environment.

Back to School: Thrills and Challenges

Teaching Today is brought to you by The Center for Professional Education of Teachers (CPET) at Teachers College, Columbia University.

In conversation with teachers, researchers, and school leaders, we’re dedicated to breaking down the problems, policies, and promising practices that define teaching. Uniting theory and practice, CPET promotes rigorous and relevant scholarship, and is committed to making excellent education accessible worldwide.