‘Aha’ learning moments start with teacher-student connections: an Along employee story

Being an educator is full of truly exciting moments. My favorite example is when a student may be struggling with a concept, but then you find a new way to expand their understanding and all of a sudden, everything just “clicks.”

As a former middle school teacher who taught math and science, I loved the challenge of finding different ways to meet kids where they are to create those “aha” moments. And now, as a member of the Along team, I help schools build those opportunities in their classrooms. Every day, I think about the even broader impact we could witness if more schools focused on building teacher-student connections, paving the way for more of these positive student moments.

Finding solutions that work for each student

I knew that I wanted to be an educator from a very early age. It may make you laugh, but I remember that my first grade teacher would move around the classroom helping us and also eating chocolates. I thought, “I want to do that!” I also used to play pretend teacher with my stuffed animals, lining them up in rows, taking roll, and keeping a grade book. There was just something about being around students all day—while maybe having a few snacks on the side!—that I couldn’t get out of my head.

In high school, I joined Future Teachers of America and worked at some local elementary schools. I also volunteered at a daycare. I just loved being around kids, watching them grow and learn.

And when I got further into education as a career, I realized that the challenges I most wanted to tackle involved how to tailor learning experiences for each student. When I was teaching 8th grade math, sometimes a student just wouldn’t get something. I really wanted to figure out how to make each lesson sticky for them.

Students feel more comfortable when there’s consistent classroom connections

That passion has stayed with me as I’ve transitioned out of the classroom. For a time, I worked as a student assessment data analyst for a district in Houston. I helped principals and teachers understand how to interpret their student data, how to track progress, and how to reach their goals for student success. I then held a similar role within the Gradient Learning team, working with schools to grow their whole student learning programs.

I started to hear more and more from school leaders that they were struggling with a lack of connection in their classrooms. Though many schools may have an existing mentoring program, there is still a clear need for an easy system and structure for consistent relationship building. That’s what brought me to Along. As a teacher, I had my own practices for building connections in the classroom, but if I had had a platform like Along, I would’ve had more support and a clear way to maintain connections with my students.

And I know that Along is helping schools do just that. I recently talked to a school leader who shared that it was through Along that a student at her school felt comfortable sharing a personal challenge with their teacher. As a result, they were able to work through a solution together. Without the consistent use of Along, she wasn’t sure this result would have ever taken place. Now, she is excited to work with all of her teachers in ‘24 – ‘25 to use Along in the classroom.

I can’t wait to hear more of these Along success stories in the coming school year! I encourage you to reach out to our team to learn how Along can help at your school. You can email us at support@along.org or visit Along’s For Schools page. Can’t wait to connect with you!

Kendra Nwosu is the Partnerships Manager at Along. She is a former middle school teacher and current adjunct professor, who has a Master’s of Education and a Doctor of Philosophy in STEM Education. She currently resides in Houston with her husband and three children.