BUILDING HIGH QUALITY CONNECTION

1. Select a relationship or connection at work that is important to you. Briefly describe it.
 As an educator, one very important relationship or connection in my profession is a good and
healthy relationship with my students. In this kind of relationship, the teacher and students
establish mutual respect and open communication. That way, the teacher could reach out to the
students and therefore, could help them better improve their potentials. The students regard
their teachers as a person who is not just a mentor who can provide them with knowledge and
wisdom, but also someone who resembles a second parent or a confidante whom they can trust
and lean on in times when they need to.

2. How would you characterize the quality of connection you have with this person? What are its
indicators?
 The connection I have with these persons is something that is professional and at the same
time, personal. As a teacher, I need to maintain the dignity and quality of my profession that is
why I have to act professionally and show professionalism in dealing with my students inside
and outside the classroom. To support this, some of the indicators are the respect and the
obedience that my students show me. They are obedient and respectful, not because of fear,
but because they know that I am their teacher. At the same time, I also connect with them
personally. I try my very best to understand them and the things that they like. It is like reaching
out to their level in a manner that I will not cross the limitations. I reach out to them like a family
or a friend. That way, I can earn their trust and confidence. And by earning their trust and
confidence, I can help them better especially in times when they don’t have a family or friend to
lean on. A teacher must also play that part because not all students are lucky enough to have a
family. I can say that I have this kind of personal connection with them as indicated by the love
and care I received from my students as well as through the trust they give me when they reach
out to me for help and guidance when they are in need.

3. What are the two important steps you could take to improve the quality of the connection with this
person? Why do you think they will work?
 I think I can improve the quality of connection I have with my students by becoming a better
educator and continuously showing my love and care for them. By becoming a better educator, I
can also teach them better, show them new things and provide them quality learning
experiences where they can acquire knowledge and wisdom necessary for life. If I become a
better teacher, I know that I can serve my students better, and if they enjoy learning with me, I’m
sure I will continuously gain their respect and trust. In addition, I will also show them my love
and care so that they could feel that they have a family and friend in me that they can trust and
lean on in times of needs. If we have respect, love and care for one another, I believe we can
establish a harmonious relationship with one another.

4. What are you most concerned about in accomplishing this relational change?
 I think I am more concerned if I could reach out to all of them. In my case, I encounter more
than 150 students a day in my classes. These students have their own different stories and
backgrounds, variety of interests and myriad of needs. Given these, I am not certain that I could
reach out to them completely and achieve the kind of relationship that I want to establish with
them.

5. How will you accomplish the change in a way that deals with this concerns?
 I think it will help if I try to know my students better by reviewing their records and try to
understand their backgrounds, especially at home. As a teacher, it is very important for me to
know the student’s personal and family background because it helps a lot in understanding their
behaviour. Also, I can try to adjust my teaching styles and strategies as well my approaches in a
way that they could easily grasp what I am trying to impart them so that they can learn better. I
recognize the role that I play in their lives that is why I will also try to improve myself personally
and professionally so that I can handle the situations that will arise in the teaching and learning
process which is also essential in establishing a good connection between us. Lastly, I will make
sure that I do my part as their teacher so that they can become better individuals who are not
only competent, wise, smart and skilful, but also citizens who are morally, socially and
emotionally responsible, capable of projecting good values, respect and establishing good and
harmonious relations with other people.