Posted on December 20, 2024

By Dr. Emir Cruz Fernández

When was the last time you remembered your love for teaching? Take a moment to think about it. When was the last time you paused and reflected on the ideals that inspired you to become an educator? If it’s been a while, you’re not alone. Teaching can be exhausting, and when we’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to lose sight of why we chose this path in the first place.

But here’s something to consider: if you’re not feeling the love, you’re probably not showing it. And if you’re not showing it, how can we expect our students to respond with warmth, engagement, and respect? Teaching is about more than just delivering content or preparing students for the future. At its core, teaching is about connection, and connection requires love.

The Missing Ingredient: Love in Teaching

The idea of “love” in education can feel taboo, especially in the American public school system. We’re trained to prioritize rigor, results, and measurable outcomes. Yet love—expressed through care, compassion, and genuine interest—is one of the most transformative tools a teacher can use. Education experts agree that teachers who infuse love into their practice have a profound impact on their students’ lives, often creating ripples of positive change that extend far beyond the classroom.

Caring is love in action. It’s one of the unspoken, primary reasons many of us became teachers in the first place. When we show students we care about them, they thrive. They respond positively to being seen, heard, and valued. Even when we set boundaries or enforce rules, our students can sense if we act with love or frustration.

Practical Ways to Show Students You Care

Love in teaching doesn’t mean abandoning discipline or academic goals. It means balancing structure with humanity, rigor with empathy. Here are some practical ways to incorporate love and care into your teaching practices:

• Be Present: Make eye contact, call students by name, and actively listen when they speak. Small gestures of presence make a huge difference.
• Check In: Ask students how they’re doing—academically and personally. A simple “How’s your day going?” signal that you care.
• Adapt Lessons to Their Interests: Show students that their passions and ideas matter by incorporating topics they care about into your lessons.
• Provide Support: Offer tutoring sessions, mentoring, or simply a safe space where students can ask for help.
• Praise and Affirm: Recognize effort, growth, and small wins. Students need to know their hard work is seen and valued.

For some students, school might be the only place they feel they belong—where they’re seen, heard, and cared for. As educators, we must rise to that responsibility and offer the positive attention they may lack elsewhere.

Behavior as a Call for Attention

Poor or disruptive behavior often masks deeper needs. As education expert Phillips (2022) points out, students who constantly ask for help, “tattle” on classmates, or act out may be seeking genuine, loving attention they aren’t receiving at home. Similarly, Nguyen highlights that some students “act up” because they don’t know how to express themselves otherwise. These moments—though challenging—are opportunities for us to pause, tap into our love for teaching, and respond with care instead of frustration.

It’s not always easy to show up for students in this way, especially when we’re stretched thin ourselves. But love isn’t a mechanical process; it flows best when we’re at peace and in harmony with ourselves. Taking care of our own well-being helps us better connect with our students and “synchronize with the flame of love,” as one might say, to illuminate the path forward for them.

Remember Why You Started

The next time you step into your classroom, take a moment to reconnect with the love that inspired you to teach. Reflect on how you can show that love to your students—not just through words, but through your presence, your listening, and your belief in their potential.

Because when students feel loved and valued, they learn. They thrive. They believe in themselves because you believed in them first.

Let’s make our classrooms venues of love—safe spaces where every student feels seen, heard, and empowered to grow.

Final Thought:

Love and beauty may not be measured with grades or standardized tests, but their impact on education is undeniable. Let’s embrace them as essential components of our teaching and transform our classrooms into places where students can thrive, achieve, and feel they belong.

Remember: Sometimes, love is the lesson they need most.