Positive student-teacher connections are known to improve school engagement and encourage academic achievement. AIS and Special Education Teacher Sarah Garrison considers it to be one of the most important components of teaching. Getting to know her students creates an opportunity to tailor lesson plans while making them more engaging.
Many of the “getting to know you” sessions happen during Lunch Bunch; a forum Sarah hosts for middle schoolers once a week. The conversation is directed towards whatever students have on their minds - school related, or not. “Over time they start to come less and less, which is actually a good thing. I want them to be independent. They know that as they move into the upper grades I will still stop whatever I am doing to help them.”
The high school that Sarah attended was a small, close-knit community very similar to George F. Baker, with one class per grade level. “I had teachers who made learning fun and exciting, and it helped me to understand the importance of personal connection.” Garnering inspiration from her own academic experience, Sarah makes an effort to build thematic units that integrate content from different subject areas that her students are interested in.
She says that seeing a student experience an “a-ha” moment is what makes teaching worthwhile. “When they gain that understanding of something they have been working so hard on, and you can see it on their face - that is the best.”
Assistant Superintendent and GFB Principal Jared Kahmar theorizes that Sarah’s rapport with the students is directly related to her success in the classroom. “She connects with the students on their level, learns about what they are interested in, and then uses it for the basis of a lesson. She is amazing at being able to tell what each of her students needs, and will respond to.”
Eighth grader Neerla Paul finds Sarah’s strategy effective.. “She is the most real teacher I know. It is so fun being around her, I can talk to her about anything.”
“I try to not be so strict about everything and have a little bit of humor. I think there is a way to make learning fun and engaging while also being rigorous,” Sarah explains.
School is more than just learning the standards required by New York State, according to Sarah. “When my students remember my class, I hope they feel that they learned a lot, but also that they had fun and our classes were meaningful to them. I want them to reflect on their middle school experience in a positive way.”