Monthly Archives: July 2021

Nurture as a Teaching Perspective

A few weeks ago, I took the Teaching Perspectives Inventory, my results of which were used as an example in front of many of my colleagues. My dominant perspective is “nurture”, and I cringed a little, expecting to be chastised for baking cookies for my students (which I do). Instead, Dr Pratt defined “nurture” as placing value on building trusting relationships with students. He asked me if this was true, and I’ve been reflecting on this. Years ago, I was standing in line for coffee in the Barber Learning Centre. Jodi Scott (classroom services) was behind me in line. She said, “Aren’t you teaching right now?” (She knew it was class time because I’d previously asked her for something in my classroom. ) I answered, “Yes, they’re working away in there.” She asked if she could come back to the room with me – she couldn’t believe I’d left 200 students unattended. I do think that I often ask students to do unconventional things, and I think it works because they trust me, and they trust me because I also trust them.