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Last weekend in Costco, while cruising through the bakery section with my kids, making sure one doesn’t spill his sample of chicken pad thai and the other doesn't push her brother, who do I see passing by but my high school French teacher. It took a second` to register because the last time I saw her was about seven years ago. I quickly said, “Madame?”
As she turned around, a warm smile spread over her face, sending me back to the early 2000’s when I was fortunate enough to call her my teacher. I quickly told her my name because, being an educator myself, I know it’s hard to remember the thousands of students you interact with over a thirty plus year career.
She replied, “Oh, Nicole! I knew your face! The names sometimes are difficult to remember, but I’ll always remember your face.”
We hugged and I introduced her to my children. I asked her how retirement is and she exclaimed, “Ugh! I hate it. Never retire!” When I asked her if she is still teaching French, she explained that she is the student now and is taking various classes through a local group.
As we wrapped up our conversation, I told her that in June, it will be 20 years since I graduated high school. I also shared my current position as a principal and her face lit up as she said, “That is so wonderful to hear! They are lucky to have you!” We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways out of the bakery section.
Happenstance or Fate?
Over the past 20 years, I have repeatedly bumped into Madame – the local supermarket, the library I used to work at, Starbucks, and now Costco. While all of our spontaneous exchanges have been brief and filled with a flurry of conversation, these moments always linger and stay with me. I have not seen any of my other teachers since I graduated back in 2004. Looking back at the number of times I just so happen to run into her, I can’t help but believe that my interactions with her are not happenstance but fate. Why else would I see her over and over again?
The cumulative effect of encouraging a student and building a relationship with them can yield greater student engagement (Martin & Collie, 2019).
She had an impact on me as a student and still does today. In fact, she is one of the reasons I decided to become an educator. As a teacher, she embodied the love and compassion I always aspired to have. Just like Madame did, I want to make students feel loved and accepted while at the same time enriching their learning experience and helping them grow a passion and thirst for the pursuit of knowledge.
What Makes a Teacher Influential?
So, what is it about Madame that made her so influential? What technique, personality quirk, or method caused her to have an influence on me twenty years after being in her classroom?
The collection of moments I had with Madame over twenty years ago shaped how I felt about who I was as a learner and young woman which, in all honesty, isn’t surprising given the research that supports the impact of teacher-student relationships (Martin & Collie, 2019). These essential relationships can cause students to internalize their teachers’ beliefs and values (Martin & Dowson, 2009) which can then impact students' academic success (Bohlmann & Weinstein, 2013; Furrer et al., 2014).
We want to belong as human beings and when a teacher creates a trusting, loving environment, the students within that classroom do not fall victim to judgment or criticism (Cobb & Krownapple, 2019) but can truly achieve and gain confidence.
In fact, when teachers communicate their expectations for students and their belief that students can achieve in school, the student will strive to meet that standard (Gentrup et al., 2020; Johnston et al., 2021; Papageorge et al., 2020). The cumulative effect of encouraging a student and building a relationship with them can yield greater student engagement (Martin & Collie, 2019). Madame took the time and effort to cultivate a relationship with me; one that would have ripple effects beyond the walls of her classroom.
We want to belong as human beings and when a teacher creates a trusting, loving environment, the students within that classroom do not fall victim to judgment or criticism (Cobb & Krownapple, 2019) but can truly achieve and gain confidence. Fostering an environment of belonging where a student feels seen, heard, and valued can reverberate throughout their lifetime impacting self-efficacy (McMahon et al., 2009). Within Madame’s class, there was no “belonging uncertainty” (Walton & Cohen, 2007); instead, there was acceptance, care, and love.
In The Power of Moments, Heath and Heath (2017) argue that people frequently recall their life’s most impactful moments. As a teacher, it is our responsibility to fill our kids’ minds not only with knowledge, but also with positive, meaningful moments so that we build them up to be resilient learners and empathetic, caring human beings.
4 Ways Teachers Can Positively Influence Students
This latest interaction in Costco got me thinking about what it truly was about Madame that impacted me so much. How can teachers today emulate what she did? Essentially, it comes down to four practices that made me love being in Madame’s class.
1. Build Teacher-Student Relationships
I had Madame Shelley for three of my four years of high school, so we had the opportunity to get to know each other very well. While I was in her class, she took the time to ask about my weekend and provided my classmates and me opportunities to talk about our interests through French dialogues. Madame was thoughtful and intentional, giving us a voice and, more importantly, listening to what we shared. Her care and concern exuded her actions and interactions.
Even though I didn’t have her as my French teacher my senior year of high school, when I would bump into her in the hallway, I would say, “Bonjour! Çava?” and she would do the same. We maintained contact and connection.
2. Foster Belonging
In Madame’s classroom, I felt accepted and cared for. The time she took to build the foundation by getting to know each of us paid dividends. She would also connect us with each other through various activities. Additionally, she did not tolerate disrespect between students as I recall her handling with grace a few incidents with some students who were not acting appropriately.
Because we could trust Madame to have our backs and be our advocate, we could be ourselves. This safety net she built allowed us to take risks, to challenge our learning and understanding.
3. Engage Students
Madame also purposely planned instruction. The day-to-day activities we engaged in were structured and allowed for multiple opportunities for all students to authentically learn and collaborate. There was never a time where she didn’t have us talking to each other (en francais, bein sûr!). She enriched the content with relevant video and audio clips to contextualize the culture and language and allowed us to engage in Friday games which were so incredibly fun! And of course, I can not forget the occasional fêtes we would have for special occasions, bringing in French themed foods and celebrating the culture. We were not passive agents in her class, but active participants who took risks, learned, and had fun doing so.
4. Believe in your Students’ Ability to Succeed
Finally, Madame believed in me. She showed this through the relationship we forged, the culture she built, the activities she engaged me with, and of course, the words she would use. It was the small moments, when she would review concepts with me and share that she knew I could handle the upcoming exam or assignment. Or when she would circulate throughout the room and offer her assistance providing me a, “Très bien,” after I showed understanding of a concept or vocabulary word.
She pushed me to succeed by holding me to high expectations, but also by supporting me through her words and actions. In fact, because of Madame, she nurtured a passion in me not only for French, but also for learning.
One Last Thought
On my last day of high school, the bell rang and relief washed over me. I was finally moving on to college. Before leaving the building on that seminal day, I wanted to visit Madame in her classroom and say goodbye. When I walked in, she was busy tidying things up and organizing for the next day, her glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose. I still remember walking through the doorway her, looking at her, and erupting in tears.
She glided over between desks and embraced me, “Oh, my dear Nicole!” I thanked her for everything she did for me and because I was so emotional, I can’t recall what she said. But, knowing her, I’m sure in typical Madame fashion, she explained how proud she was of me.
Madame was and is the embodiment of an exceptional teacher. In her classroom, I felt seen, heard, and valued. Because of my time with her, I was able to grow my confidence and build upon my love of learning. The moments I spent in her classroom unequivocally impacted me years later and are part of the reason why, when I bump into her, I am so quickly taken back to learning French in her classroom.
As educators, we all have our favorite teachers. The ones who took the time to get to know us. The ones who made us feel loved and accepted unconditionally. The ones who engaged us and helped us learn. The ones who pushed us and believed in us. The ones who showed us what it truly means to be an educator.
It is not just about the curriculum. This job is so much more complex and meaningful than books, exams, and lessons. It is the day-to-day impact that we have on our kids that can resound throughout their lives and help influence them beyond your walls. Those tiny moments accumulate and shape us into who we are. Take each moment and make it one to remember.
References
Bohlmann, N. L., & Weinstein, R. (2013). Classroom context, teacher expectations, and cognitive level: Predicting children’s math ability judgments. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 34(6), 288–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2013.06.003
Cobb, F. & Krownapple, J. (2019). Belonging through a culture of dignity: The keys to successful equity implementation. Mimi & Todd Press.
Furrer, C. J., Skinner, E. A., & Pitzer, J. R. (2014). The influence of teacher and peer relationships on students’ classroom engagement and everyday motivational resilience. National Society for the Study of Education, 113, 101–123.
Gentrup, S., Lorenz, G., Kristen, C., & Kogan, I. (2020). Self-fulflling prophecies in the classroom: Teacher expectations, teacher feedback and student achievement. Learning and Instruction, 66(4), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2019.101296
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2017). The power of moments: Why certain experiences have extraordinary impact. Simon and Schuster.
Johnston, O., Wildy, H., & Shand, J. (2021). ‘Believe in me, and I will too’: a study of how teachers’ expectations instilled confidence in Grade 10 students. Social Psychology of Education, 24, 1535-1556.
Martin, A. J., & Collie, R. J. (2019). Teacher–student relationships and students’ engagement in high school: Does the number of negative and positive relationships with teachers matter? Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(5), 861-876. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000317
Martin, A. J., & Dowson, M. (2009). Interpersonal relationships, motivation, engagement, and achievement: Yields for theory, current issues, and practice. Review of Educational Research, 79, 327–365. http://dx .doi.org/10.3102/0034654308325583
McMahon, S. D., Wernsman, J., & Rose, D. S. (2009). The relation of classroom environment and school belonging to academic self-efficacy among urban fourth- and fifth-grade students. The Elementary School Journal, 109(3), 267–281. https://doi.org/10.1086/592307
Papageorge, N. W., Gershenson, S., & Kang, K. M. (2020). Teacher expectations matter. Review of Economics and Statistics, 102(2), 234-251.
Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007). A question of belonging: race, social fit, and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 82.