Supporting Teachers: The Path to Stronger Connections

Students and teachers have displayed remarkable courage in the face of overlapping traumas this past year. Building on that resilience, and the new and innovative ways students and teachers stayed connected throughout the pandemic, will be key as students return to school this fall. 

In her keynote speech at the ISTELive 21 conference, Dr. Priscilla Chan, co-founder and co-CEO of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), discussed the importance of a trauma-informed approach to the upcoming school year, as well as new technologies to accelerate students’ learning by fostering the strong, supportive relationships they need to thrive.

Watch below:

Teachers, school leaders and researchers joined CZI at the conference to talk about building strong relationships as a foundation for learning.

Watch below:

I See You: Putting Teacher-Student Relationships First

Research shows that strong relationships can help restore students’ readiness to learn and support student wellbeing. Hear directly from students, educators, and researchers about creating a safe space for students to feel seen, understood, and motivated to participate in class.

• Moderator: Samia Zaidi, Director of Educator Success, Gradient Learning
• Panelists:
  • Stacey Perez, Principal, Classical Academy High School, Personalized Learning Campus, Along Educator
  • Kenna Chase, Student, Classical Academy
  • Kent Pekel, President & CEO, Search Institute

Seen and Understood: Giving Students Space to be Themselves

Students crave one-on-one time with their teachers. Every teacher and every student should have the opportunity to build strong relationships and trust as the foundation for learning. Join us for a discussion about how tools can make it easy for both students and teachers to have these check-ins regularly.  

• Moderator: Samia Zaidi, Director of Educator Success, Gradient Learning
• Panelists:
  • Laura Tollis, teacher, Saline Middle School, Michigan
  • Daniel Motta, teacher, LEAD Innovation Studio, Kansas City, Missouri

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About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease and improving education, to addressing the needs of our local communities. Our mission is to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit chanzuckerberg.com.