Being Human. Being Kind. as a Modern Educator.

My Approach Today: Humanism in Practice

As a teacher working with 6th–8th grade special education students, I have developed a deeply humanistic approach.

I prioritize authentic relationships and take time to understand each student’s strengths and challenges—almost like a scientist studying patterns and designing individualized supports. My goal is not just academic progress, but the development of the whole child.

At the core of my work is the belief in self-actualization—that every individual has inherent potential for growth. Sometimes this just means a student has to experience some success. School work, behavioral expectations, and a one size fits all system leave many of my students feeling like they're always losing at the game of school and life. Creating opportunities for small academic, social and emotional wins helps build momentum, agency, self-confidence and a desire to try challenging things. These wins don't happen accidentally. You have to know you're students, know they're progress and know when they're on the edge of even the smallest growth experience. Then you create the right conditions for this experience to gain momentum. For a "win" to occur. This can be reading a new text independently, having a positive social interaction with a peer, or getting the support they need in a classroom that is challenging to access.

When people ask how I achieve the outcomes I do, I often return to one foundational principle:

Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR).

Rooted in the work of Carl Rogers, UPR emphasizes acceptance, respect, and belief in each individual’s worth and potential (Cloke, 2022; Holt, 2023). I see this as the single most important condition for meaningful learning. UPR for me means that every single day is a fresh start. That argument, those behaviors, that work refusal that happened yesterday (even an hour ago) is in the past. Today, right now, is a fresh opportunity to do things differently, experience success and positive, heartfelt, meaningful interactions and support from me as their teacher. I explain to other professionals that you have to have terrible short term memory for the "scratchy" interactions and the memory of an elephant for all things positive. In this way you begin to build an unconditional positive relationship with your students, especially those students who are your toughest challenge each day. They're the ones who need this from you the most. Even if the student is a little older, even if what they're doing feels acutely personal and hurtful, you have to let it go. When we start seeing students as the problem with our classrooms then we're losing at the teaching game. All students, even that one student who seems to have it out for you, all of them, are you're classroom. They're not the problem. Kids are not what's wrong with school or your classroom.

As Rogers (1961) famously wrote:

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change” (p. 17).

In classrooms grounded in UPR, students feel safe enough to:

• Take academic risks

• Engage in challenging work

• Persist through difficulty

• Develop intrinsic motivation

• Lean into a relationship with their teacher where they feel safe enough to change

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Without this foundation, learning environments often produce avoidance, withdrawal, apathy, or perfectionism—all of which interfere with meaningful growth.

If you're walking out of your classroom at the end of a class period, the end of a day, and not feeling comfortable with the person who showed up for the kids today, how you showed up, handled stressful situations...

Firstly, remember you're a human. Be kind to yourself. Teaching is an incredibly stressful career. You're not always going to get it right.

The next step is to look inward. Ask yourself, "Am I taking care of myself so I can show up for these kids each day?", "Am I doing what I need to do to give them an opportunity for a fresh start?" Unconditional positive regard starts with treating yourself with kindness and care. If you can't talk back to that critical inner voice or move yourself in the direction of peace and kindness in life, it's going to be incredibly difficult to show up for children in that way. Find a life for yourself outside of work. Find your peace, your bucket fillers, get therapy, take walks, eat well, nurture your relationships.

As public servants tasked with raising the children of this world, we absolutely must be taking care of ourselves so we can take care of others.

What Humanistic Teaching Actually Looks Like

Humanistic teaching is not a program—it’s a way of being.

It requires educators to:

• Greet students by name

• Acknowledge effort before correcting mistakes

• Maintain a non-judgmental stance

• Respect students’ emotional experiences

• We like people who like us. You have to find ways to like all of your students

As Rogers (1967) explains:

“The more I can be myself, the more I can truly meet the other person” (p. 240).

This authenticity fosters a classroom culture where students feel valued not just as learners—but as people.

According to Cloke (2022), humanistic education views emotional safety as essential for intellectual risk-taking. In this framework, mistakes are not failures—they are necessary steps in the learning process.

Language matters. Terms like “fail” or even “failing forward” can reinforce shame-based thinking. Instead, learning should be framed as a process of iteration, persistence, and growth.

As Rogers (1980) writes:

“To be accepted and valued for oneself is a mighty influence toward the development of a person” (p. 19).

Final thoughts:

There are a million fingers to point, systems, people, administrators, coworkers, Standardized Assessment focused learning models...the list is endless. And the short answer is yes, the system is broken, unequivocally across the board top-to-bottom broken. Sacrificing yourself at the altar of educational idealism or explaining it away as, "Well, I'm just a glutton for punishment" is no longer a sustainable option for todays educators. It's not sustainable from a human perspective and our mental health suffers because of it. You can fight the system, it will push back and make your professional life uncomfortable. Maybe you're comfortable in this space, keep fighting, keep pushing. Maybe you're not a system changer? Find what works for you. Soak in those wonderful student interactions and relationships, remember that great change happens incrementally, forgive yourself for your screw ups, and live by the everyone gets a fresh start tomorrow philosophy.

Teaching is incredibly difficult profession. We weren't meant to suffer, and children weren't meant to suffer because of our career choice. If you're suffering, so are your students. Take care of yourself, get help if you need it, live your life outside of school.