How to Relate and Talk to Your Students

Your 6th grade Reading Classroom Coaching coordinators, Chris and Hannah, put together a great handout for the April volunteer and mentor coffee talk. Check it out below!


Meet them at their level – put yourself in their shoes

  • Get to know their interests and hobbies.  Some students have a different background than yours; respecting it is key. Crossing cultural barriers takes effort, but if you want to bridge distances it is important to remain patient and keep an open mind.

Be objective

  • Don’t take student behavior personally
  • Be aware of your reaction/response to the students

Don’t be afraid to laugh and admit mistakes—have a sense of humor!

  • Model that it’s ok to make mistakes
  • Utilize your sense of humor

Respect/Trust

  • Remember that to get respect, you have to give it
  • Building trust takes time and patience

Listen

  • Try to listen more than you talk
  • Accept that a student’s feelings are valid

Be consistent

  • It is much harder to relate to your students if you miss multiple classes
  • Be consistent week to week with group guidelines for behavior
  • Being inconsistent will cause you to lose students’ respect and attention

We hope you’ll join APIE staff, your teachers, and fellow volunteers and mentors for the end-of-year happy hour TODAY at Contigo Austin!


 

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Announcement: Leadership Transition

Isadora Day Named Interim Executive Director Following Dr. Cathy Jones Departure

June 25, 2025 – Austin Partners in Education (APIE) has announced a leadership transition following the departure of longtime Executive Director Dr. Cathy Jones, who will begin a new role as CEO of UP Partnership, a nonprofit serving young people across Bexar County. After 13 years of dedicated service to APIE and Austin ISD, Dr. Jones leaves behind a strong legacy of community collaboration, student-centered innovation, and organizational growth.

With Cathy’s departure, the APIE Board of Directors has appointed Isadora Day as Interim Executive Director, effective July 14, 2025. Day most recently served as Director of Programs at APIE, where she has led high-impact initiatives in college readiness, mentoring, and math intervention for Austin ISD students…