Susan Yonezawa, Larry McClure, and Makeba Jones
Thoughtful educators personalize school every day—greeting students by name, offering academic help, checking in about serious family problems. But how can teacher-student relationships play a more formal role in personalizing education for students?
This 2012 report reviews research on personalization, emphasizing the importance of student-teacher relationships. The authors provide examples of personalization in schools, such as advisories and small schools, and suggest next steps for personalization, which include mastery-based instruction, digital technology, and college and career readiness.
Educators who use teacher-student relationships to create classroom environments that foster feelings of competency—particularly among students who have been marginalized for any number of reasons—can invigorate students who were previously disengaged.