From a single course to now hundreds, Rochelle Borton is transforming the education industry one teacher at a time!

Launching EduInfluencers, an organisation that provides professional development programs, coaching and strategic consulting for educators, teams, schools and school leaders, Rochelle’s humble beginnings began with just 1 four-part course that has grown to include seminars, webinars, workshops and professional training. Leading over 3,500 teachers/school leaders across more than 300 schools Australia wide to help teams deal with anything that may be holding them back, Rochelle designed EduInfluencers for educators across all learning stages. She is a mother, entrepreneur and Founder & Managing Director creating positive learning environments with the key mission to help others flourish.

I want to impact as many educators as possible by offering tailored and differentiated professional learning that they actually learn something from and that would be sustainable in every career step they chose to make.

Currently we have the lowest numbers of young people turning to formalised teacher education and if the trend continues then our current method of delivering standardised industrialised education cannot be maintained. Whilst I don't necessarily believe in some of the current methodology, what I do believe and what the research and evidence support is that students learn better when they have positive and connected relationships with their teachers.

Positive relationships between students and teachers improve students’ emotional well-being. This is because how teachers treat students affects how students treat each other.

Twenty-first-century teachers not only need to know curricula but also the relationship skills that will enhance learning and student outcomes. Effective teaching occurs within a broad social context and develops within students the abilities to regulate their emotions. The ability to communicate in the complex classroom environments of today requires constant information flow and adjustment, and a skilled teacher will regulate the flow of classroom discussion as it flows to maximise learning.

Positive teacher-student relationships are central to the wellbeing of both students and teachers and are the foundation for student engagement, belonging, and learning. Students who learn and grow with strong relationships are more engaged, have stronger social skills, and experience more life success. If we regard teachers as learners and to ensure that the learning, we want to see in students to improve educational outcomes, then it is important teachers demonstrate effective relationship skills. The teachers of the future must create challenging, constructive classrooms, treating students with respect, and setting high expectations for all students to maximise student learning. Students who feel safe to take risks in the classroom such as leading a peer group, speaking to the class, or applying a new problem-solving strategy, improve their participation in learning.

Respectful, authentic communication skills could be considered as the most important relationship skill that teachers use. The development of mutual trust and respect are essential and can be seen in two-way exchanges between teachers and students. Without doubt, the ability to collaborate with peers is an important 21st-century skill and future teachers who wish to be effective must create rich learning opportunities that develop these skills.

No doubt the current challenges, more aptly described as a crisis in education, will have a material effect on what education will look like in 10 years’ time.

Recently recognised as one of the winners of best professional development providers in Australia by The Educator’s 5-Star Service Provider Awards, the success of Rochelle highlights the endless dedication produced by the team over the years. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, holding a Master’s degree and training in behavioural intelligence, Rochelle has spent time supporting young people to develop leadership capability both in Australia and internationally as part of the Junior Chamber International, a not-for-profit in more than 100 countries across the world.

For more info: eduinfluencers.com