Sparking students’ passion for learning starts with connections: an Along employee story

As a new school year approaches, I’m invigorated to work with school leaders and educators who are focused on creating engaging classroom environments for all students. I am looking forward to learning more about what they do already to create vibrant school cultures, and about how our product can help meet their specific needs and challenges.

This work excites me personally because I’ve seen firsthand how creating connections with students can spark their interest in learning, and can set them on a path toward future success. I came to the Along team after a decade in teaching roles. And, what brought me to education in the first place was seeing how classroom learning can directly lead to students’ lifelong passions. When you build authentic relationships with students, they are more open to engaging in the classroom and experiencing new ways of thinking.

Building bridges between classroom lessons and real world experiences

I remember in high school I was the TA for my AP English teacher, and she needed a hand one day and asked me to teach the class. We were reading the play “The Doll’s House” and I led the discussion. I had so much fun hearing the class’ insights on the topic. That was really “the” moment when I could see myself doing this as my career. I had also been volunteering across the street tutoring 3rd graders in reading and math, and by the time I graduated high school, I was locked in on being a teacher.

Ultimately, I went on to teach high school English for eight years in Wyoming and I was the speech and debate coach for most of that time as well. What really drove me was seeing students light up when they made connections between the material and the world around them. I always loved teaching “The Grapes of Wrath” because I saw my students building empathy as we went through the book. We would get to a point in the book where we talked about the experience of the migrants from Oklahoma in the 1930s and I would say, “Do you see that happening anywhere else in the world? And they would say, ‘wow, it’s still happening’!”

We were looking at real, modern challenges through the lens of literature. My students were empathizing with these characters and realizing that it connected back directly with people they knew. There is always such joy seeing that happen.

One of my favorite assignments was during the last week of school. I had the students write a thank you letter to a teacher. They could pick anyone they wanted and then I would deliver the letters to the teachers. We talked about how to write a good letter and about the effect the letters would have. The kids would really reflect on the impact a teacher had on them, and I saw them feel gratitude and understand how that teacher recipient would be impacted.

Helping student expression flourish

When I made the transition out of the classroom, I did so to help schools address ways to bring whole student learning to their campuses. I supported dozens of Gradient Learning schools in every shape, size, and location. Some of the first schools I worked with were in New York City. Though I was coming from a small high school in Wyoming, the challenges facing a teacher in Brooklyn were very similar to what I had faced. At the end of the day, I saw the commonalities of students, teachers, and administrators across the country.

I heard many stories from educators about the challenges they had in getting to know some of their students, or about students who felt reluctant to speak up in class. That’s what brought me to my current role with Along. 

I never get tired of hearing the real impact that Along has on students and teachers. When students come alive through their interactions in Along, when they share their thoughts and personalities in a safe space, and when those ongoing connection points start to make a school feel like a community, I know that the work I’m doing is changing lives.

This school year, I can’t wait to help even more students find joy in connecting with their teachers and with the learning they are doing in the classroom. And, if you’re a school leader who wants to learn more about how Along can make a difference at your campus or district, I hope that you’ll reach out today. You can check out our Schools page or email us at support@along.org.

Jared Chandler is the School and District Success Manager at Along. He is a former teacher who focused on expanding educational possibilities for all students, and is completing a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He currently resides in Salt Lake City with his wife and five children.