The importance of personal relationships in inclusive teaching

Airini et al. (2011) point out that for the Maori and Pasifika students they interviewed it was important that educators were ‘approachable and attentive’ (p. 81). In our conversations with VUW students we found this was true for all the students we talked to from first year students who’d just completed their first ever trimester at university, to students who graduated with their PhD. All students stressed the importance of teachers who took a personal interest in them and were friendly, helpful, open and treated students with respect, as equals.

'What made a difference was teachers who took an interest in me, who realised, and told me that I was capable and bright despite leaving school so early'[working class, first in family, mature student, lesbian, PhD graduate]

'A tutorial is bad if the tutor doesn’t seem to make an effort or care about the students. A good tutor cares about the students and checks that they’re understanding stuff' [Pasifika students, all female]

'My tutor is very relaxed and makes it clear that we’re welcome to bring our kids to class or bring food. I really like his openness.' [Pasifika student, female]

'I really appreciate her openness, the way she acknowledges the variety of backgrounds in the class and the fact that she doesn’t stereotype people' [International PG student, Pacific region, male]

'Lecturers and tutors need to be friendly, helpful, supportive and kind and have “fun” in class. They should understand how hard it is for international students to read academic English and encourage students to talk.' [Rose, an international student, from China]

'It’s important that lecturers get to know individual students. Although it’s harder in large classes, it would still be really good. Lecturers and tutors need to be friendly and prepared to help students.' [Refugee background student, female]

'Good lecturers are people oriented and friendly, they don’t insist on their academic, “superior” status but treat students as though they’re equals' [learning disability, lower SES, male, in his third year at university]

'Be approachable, don’t have an attitude of ‘I’m a lecturer, I’m better than you’ and use humour.' [Maori students, female]

'Talk on our level; build a good understanding and relationship with students. Use humour – even if it isn’t funny – students will find the dry attempt funny.' [Pasifika students, male]

Teaching staff too, recognised the importance of being approachable and of stressing their availability.

I encourage students to call me by my first name and come and talk to me and I give them my cell phone and home numbers so that they can contact me when I’m not in the office. Professor Jonathan Boston

In order to build a relationship with the students I try to be personable in the classroom. I think NZ has a strong tradition of egalitarianism and I deliberately try to step down from any pedestal that the students might want to put me on. …I make a real effort to treat the students as people, not as ‘students’ and to ask them about how things are going in their lives as well as checking that they’re up with where we are with the material. Tai Ahu, Assistant Lecturer

I aim to be an approachable person. You have to remove the d. r. I try to show each student that ‘I’m interested in you’, to be friendly, to use humour, to avoid big terms. I’m the same person inside and outside of the classroom. I try to listen to what students are saying. Cherie Chu, Programme Director BA Educ