"It's not what you know, but who you know." This networking adage rightly points out what many of us have learned to be true, that it is often not the breadth of our knowledge as much as the breadth of our contact list that ultimately leads to success in landing the career/position we desire. Yet, I believe this phrase can be reinterpreted to describe the teaching profession. Many of us can identify that one teacher or coach that had the greatest impact on us as students. Often, it was not as much the content knowledge they offered that changed our lives, as it was the fact that they made the effort to develop a positive relationship with their students. It is my opinion that content knowledge makes a good teacher. Content knowledge combined with developing purposeful relationships with students, makes a great teacher. In this presentation I will highlight relevant research and offer personal anecdotes supporting the claim that developing positive rapport with students not only improves the classroom/learning environment, but can accelerate academic performance, allow for more productive relationships, and improve the quality of life for the teacher!
