1st Edition
Purposeful Educator Connections Five Principles to Strengthen Relationships with Students
Winner of the 2025 International Book Award (IBA) for Education!
Deepen relationships with students, stay connected to your purpose, and improve classroom culture with this inspiring book.
Author Marcela Andrés offers five key principles to unlock connections with students, know your why, understand context beyond compliance, foster meaningful interactions, design high-quality learning environments, and partner with key stakeholders. For each principle, she provides high-leverage practices and strategies you can implement, a case study to crystalize the concept, and reflection questions to apply to your practice. The book ends with a reminder to put your own oxygen mask on first, and a reminder of the power of human connection and the legacy you will create.
Now more than ever, we need educators to do what they do best and help shape the next generation of leaders who can change our future. This powerful book will remind you of your special ability to connect with students and have a direct impact on their life’s outcomes.
Preface
Introduction: The Special Position of an Educator
Chapter 1 - Principle 1: Know your Why
Chapter 2 - Principle 2: Understand Context Beyond Compliance
Chapter 3 - Principle 3: Foster Meaningful Interactions
Chapter 4 - Principle 4: Design High-Quality Educational Learning Environments
Chapter 5 - Principle 5: Partner with Key Stakeholders
Chapter 6 - Oxygen Masks are not Just for Airplanes
Chapter 7 - The Power of Human Connection
References
Biography
Marcela Andrés serves as President and CEO of designEDengagement, PBC, a Latina-owned education consulting firm based in Texas on a mission to reimagine how educators, families, and community members partner to support the hopes and dreams of students. Previously, Marcela was a program director with a non-profit whose mission is to advocate for public education. She was also a third- and fourth-grade teacher at a bilingual elementary school.
