Almost universally, students have shared that they want respectful relationships with their teachers. They have expressed how important it is for their teachers to believe in them and to understand them as whole people, not just as academic learners.
Students have also expressed that they want to feel like administrators respect them. To them, respect means both relational compassion and also understanding of their upbringing and racial and ethnic backgrounds.
“Because of the dissatisfaction with administration and the lack of genuine listening and understanding, the weight of solving community problems has fallen onto BIPOC students. But it shouldn’t just be on us. We need support from all corners of our school – especially administration.” — Alexis
“There are many things that students, teachers, and administrators can do to make sure that schools are a safe place. I believe the school should include opportunities for people to connect with one another so that they can get to know each other and support each other.” — JiaJun
“The human relationships are what really matter and will truly build the community between students and staff in school. Without them, all the programs in the world won’t be able to help.” — Anonymous
“My dream is to help kids like me get all of the resources and support they need, that I didn’t get. If I hadn’t had a close relationship with my dean who reminded me of my potential, I don’t know if I would still be in school.”
— Jaylee
“I think that the staff doesn’t represent the students culturally. If we’re the most diverse school in [town], why don’t my teachers look like me? Why don’t I feel represented? Especially the admin. You have kids of color being sent to the office and getting harsher consequences.” — Focus Group Report
“I feel like they think, since we’re teenagers, ‘You’re just a teenager. You’re over dramatic. It’s just your age. You’ll get past it,’ and this and that.”
— Focus Group Report
Many students have stated that they benefit from programs at school where they can form strong relationships with adults who support their mental health and social emotional needs, as well as offer additional academic support.
“I see that teachers are taking their poor mental health out on students, then students are doing that right back. Both sides are antagonizing each other.” — Taeyah
“Not only does Ellen know how to be a great supervisor, but she also connected with me on a personal level. She was such a good listener, always taking my feelings into consideration and incorporating my thoughts into running GSA. I always felt open and heard around her. I admire her dearly and will do anything I can to make her proud.” — Lonelypilot
“[Health and wellness counsellors] always check in, making sure if anything is happening with [students] personally, we’re able to ask the teacher for a pass to health and wellness and do our work with the health and wellness, just to have our time to gather ourselves.” — Focus Group Report
“I knew that no matter what, he would be there to support me and would never give up on me. It was a small thing, but sometimes it’s the small things that make the difference.” — Taeyah
“A lot of the time when you meet with adults at school, they only focus on what you’ve done badly and why you’re wrong. I was used to feeling like no one was on my side. The first time that changed for me was when I met my social worker.” — Anonymous
“One of the challenges at my school is that guidance is overworked. It seems like they are always swamped, so when students need an appointment, they usually have to wait until it’s too late.” — Trish
“Thank God I [started the after school program]. I used to go to school, go home … I hated that.… It helped a lot because I started poetry, and [staff] keeps pushing me to keep doing more. I would have given up a long time ago. They push you forward education-wise too … like she really wants me to graduate.” — Focus Group Report
“Teachers can also help foster positive relationships between students. In one of my classes, we played a game to share our passions and hobbies with the entire class. This helped me get to know everyone and feel more comfortable. In this classroom, students offer to show their own work and actively participate in class.This trait only reveals itself in classrooms where I feel comfortable with both the teacher and the students.” — Sophie
“We often feel isolated, with no camaraderie with our peers or connection to the broader school community.” — Haverhill High School VIP Report
“Going into high school I had more friends who were either also LGBTQ or allies, but talking about LGBTQ topics and issues at school still felt really taboo, and I started noticing a lot of people who would freely use slurs, especially the f slur.” — Kellin
Students have described how high staff turnover can lead to a lack of consistency and stability in the school. Teacher absenteeism is a related issue in that several students have shared they do not learn effectively from repeat substitutes.
“This year, I am having trouble talking to my instructors. I am having trouble speaking about solutions to problems. Teachers are quitting jobs, students are missing opportunities, and students and teachers are taking it out on each other.” — Taeyah
“… it’s really hard to find a consistent comfortable place around here. We have new teachers every single year…and that goes back to the support system, because sometimes we build connections with these teachers, and these teachers really help us, but then when those teachers get cut we have to meet all these new teachers, where [does] our support system go?”
— Focus Group Report
“Sometimes we are lucky enough to find an adult at school we consider a mentor but if they leave or are replaced, we lose that one person we relied on to support us through our four years in high school.” — Jaylee
“But, I wasn’t in a school where the staff worked together and shared responsibility for every student. I only had a connection with [one counsellor] and no other staff. So when this counselor left, I felt as if I was once again on a broken bridge, alone, and no one could cross to help. Without that emotional support or the ability to trust other staff members, it became hard to concentrate in the classroom.” — Taeyah
This website is dedicated to the valuable lessons we can learn from students’ own experiences about how to create better schools. Decisions about schooling are often made without listening deeply to students themselves. But students are in the best position to understand what they need in order to do well in school.
A collaboration of the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI), Harvard Law School and Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC). LEARN MORE
Melanie: Adults need to be a positive example
“We need the adults at the school to be a positive example for us. They can help us get better by listening to students’ ideas to create a better school environment. Can we work together to get some learning done?” — Melanie
Adam: It made me happy to know my teacher would support me
“I noticed that my teacher put a ‘Protect Trans Kids’ sticker on her computer. It made me feel really happy to know that she would support me and be there for me if I needed her.” — Adam
Drew: One of my teachers mistreated LGBT+ students
“My high school isn’t exactly the best when it comes to supporting those who are LGBT. For example, one of the health teachers tended to mistreat those who are different from him and he once used harmful language to describe mental health issues amongst certain individuals. As a result of this, I felt incredibly hurt by his remark .” — Drew
Juan: Teachers should focus on building relationships with students
“Teachers should focus on building relationships with their students. We need to know that teachers care. We want them to care about what we know and what we feel and what we need. Not only do we need to feel physically safe but also academically safe to share our thoughts and contribute to class. And we need to feel comfortable enough to share when we are struggling and need support.” — Juan
Amayra: Fun and supportive teachers make the difference
“Fun and supportive teachers really make a difference. My English teacher is a good example of this. She jokes around with us, but we still get all of our work done. We can do both: there’s a time for us to play and there’s a time for us to do work. Even if I’m having a bad day, I’m still going to talk in her class.” — Amayra