How to build relationships with students through personal stories

This post is based on the latest episode of my weekly podcast, Angela Watson’s Truth for Teachers. A podcast is like a free talk radio show you can listen to online, or download and take with you wherever you go. I release a new 10-15 minute episode each Sunday and feature it here on the blog to help you get energized and motivated for the week ahead.

In today’s episode, I’ve invited teacher and author James Sturtevant to share some thoughts on how to incorporate more personal stories into your instruction and build relationships with students. James lives in Galena, Ohio, and has worked as a high school social studies teacher since 1985. He’s also the author of You’ve Gotta Connect: Building Relationships That Lead to Engaged Students, Productive Classrooms, and Higher Achievement.

I’ve talked previously in the podcast about how to gain energy from kids instead of letting them drain you, the importance of making connections with students, and being your real, true, authentic self in the classroom. In this episode James is going to share the practical, concrete ways he does this in his social studies classroom, and help you find ways to share your stories and life in your classroom using a template he calls “Show and Tell.”

Want to listen instead of read?

Listen to season 2 episode 5 below,
or subscribe in your podcast app.

Or, instead of just listening, you can watch the video version below which James created:

Next week: Ask Angela Anything–How can I keep my team’s positivity and innovation from alienating co-workers? 

See blog posts/transcripts for all episodes

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