Learning Theory rooted in the heart
For many children, teachers are the first contact with the culture of the social world outside of the home. From associations with family members, children have acquired a sense of who they are, what they can do, what they should value, how they should relate to the world around them, and how they should communicate. These understandings are cultural—they differ from group to group and even within groups. (Fillmore, 2000)
​
A sense of belonging, another critical dimension of self, describes our confidence in ourselves as social beings and in our ability to make and contribute to relationships with others. In Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs,” belonging is next in importance after physiological and safety needs (1943)(Finnan pp.97)
​
When we accept our students for who they are and meet them at their ZPD we give them a sense of security in which they feel they can make mistakes. This allows for genuine growth and development. It is very important when assessing your students you reflect on your own emotions toward the child. It is important to understand they are dealing with far greater problems they are equipped to cope with and it is my duty to help these students if they are to learn anything in my classroom.
Social Cognitive Learning
Of the factors that contribute to student success in school, management of the learning environment is among the most cited. This includes overseeing the relationships formed in your classroom as well as those you make with your students. According to Hattie, an extensive review of schools found classroom behavior is the 6th most important contributor to a child's academic success of the factors considered. Student-teacher relationships were the third most significant contributor (Hattie, 2009). They determined that, of the 228 factors they identified, classroom management had the largest effect on student achievement (Wang, Haertel & Walberg, 1993; Marzano, 2011). By supporting a positive social environment you allow students to make authentic connections.
​
Language, both physical and verbal, plays a huge part in making trustworthy connections with our students. This can only be if you are willing to invest in your class and the individual needs of the student. Teachers, then, must engage in explicit caring toward, among, the youth of color with approaches that do not dismiss, reduce, or silence humanity of their students. Although students often communicate their humanity in ways that seem destructive, their actions serve mostly as indicators of their own social trauma”(Camangian pp.182).
The support you offer to your students can make a world of difference. Teachers’ judgments can have enormous consequences for children’s lives—from the daily judgments and responses that affect students’ sense of themselves as learners to the more weighty decisions about reading group placement, promotion, or referral for evaluation.