Opinion
Student Well-Being Opinion

The Humanity of Homeroom

February 26, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The hope for the future lies within my 15-minute block of 24 students.

For eight years, I have greeted students at the door of Room 138 with a high five, a smile, and a cup of coffee in my hand. Though this isn’t the most academic or rigorous interaction students have with my classroom--it’s the foundation for everything we do over the course of a year.

I learned a long time ago that students don’t want to learn from someone they don’t like or from someone who has no interest in their lives or their stories. As educators, we must be purposeful in establishing these relationships and having day-to-day interactions with students. Homeroom provides the perfect opportunity to lay the foundations of this important work.

During our morning time together, we talk about our families, experiences, and our hopes and dreams for a brighter future.

These conversations play out in every lesson we do. We make connections to the outside world and to the worlds in which we find ourselves--some of those worlds are perpetuated by societal norms. The outside world says, “You won’t be anything because you are a young girl from this part of town...” But it’s also a small moment in time during which I can intentionally put new dreams and words into their minds. I can say, “Have you heard of this college nearby? You would make a great teacher, nurse, law enforcement officer...”

Humanity is found in a relationship with another human--with our students.

Humanity is found in homeroom.

With our busy schedules and never-ending to-do lists, we often overlook the true purpose of homeroom. Beyond clerical work, the time spent checking in with students on a personal basis and asking them how their weekend went, with the intent of forming relationships, is a small investment that has the potential to pay great dividends.

Relationships between students and passionate teachers will always be the foundation of successful classrooms. Our kids deserve a little humanity.

Derek Voiles is the 2017 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY).

Image courtesy of NeONBRAND on Unsplash.

The National Network of State Teachers of the Year believes expert teachers will lead the way to a more equitable and exceptional future for all kids. Do you agree?

Then help ensure that great teacher voices keep coming your way by donating to NNSTOY now. Donate Now

The opinions expressed in Teacher-Leader Voices are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
How to Leverage Virtual Learning: Preparing Students for the Future
Hear from an expert panel how best to leverage virtual learning in your district to achieve your goals.
Content provided by Class
English-Language Learners Webinar AI and English Learners: What Teachers Need to Know
Explore the role of AI in multilingual education and its potential limitations.
Education Webinar The K-12 Leader: Data and Insights Every Marketer Needs to Know
Which topics are capturing the attention of district and school leaders? Discover how to align your content with the topics your target audience cares about most. 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being States Look to Social-Emotional Learning to Combat Student Misbehavior, Poor Mental Health
Experts say SEL can be a first line of defense against youth mental health problems and misbehavior, but political resistance continues.
6 min read
Image of happy and unhappy face symbols.
ThitareeSarmkasat/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being LGBTQ+ Students Feel the Weight of a Push for Parents' Rights
States and local school boards are passing laws that specifically target LGBTQ+ youth. It's affecting those students' mental health.
7 min read
Illustration of a person hiding their face while jagged shapes and aggressive forms close in around them.
Iryna Vladymyrova/iStock
Student Well-Being Child Poverty in the U.S. Jumped in 2022 as Pandemic Benefits Ended
Child poverty in the United States more than doubled last year, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
4 min read
FILE - Jaqueline Benitez, who depends on California's SNAP benefits to help pay for food, shops for groceries at a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., on Feb. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, file)
Student Well-Being Opinion How to Help Students Try New Things
We all fear failure, the unknown, the suboptimal. Here’s how students can get past indecision.
1 min read
Images shows a stylized artistic landscape with soothing colors.
Getty