Developing Your Strategy for Working with Students

This chapter addresses questions such as: How do I create a strong working relationship with students in the context of my practice? What are the different ways in which I will come in contact with students? What are the joys and frustrations of working with students? How do I maintain a healthy balance in my life if I have intense, frequent contact with students? How do I stay connected to student voices, concerns, and energy if I am removed from direct student contact? This chapter was inspired by the spirit of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who encouraged his protege to place deep value on raising questions. Reflection and reciprocity are key components of service-learning. We explore these principles as we strive to cultivate functional, rewarding, meaningful, and reciprocal working relationships with students. [authors]