Creekmore Conversations

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Every Connection Matters: How to Build, Maintain, Restore Relationships Inside the School and Out

A practical guide to the ins and outs of building, maintaining, and restoring positive and productive relationships in schools.

Relationships are at the core of education. When teachers are intentional about all of their relationships, they can address burnout, increase their own effectiveness, and improve the learning environment for their students.

In this thoughtful book, educators Michael Creekmore and Nita Creekmore introduce the build, maintain, and restore approach to relationships, focusing on six key types of relationships that K–12 teachers need to navigate in a school:

  • Teacher-to-self, highlighting the importance of self-care to ensure mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
  • Teacher-to-student, focusing on how strong student-teacher relationships can change the trajectory of a student’s path.
  • Teacher-to-family, showing how a teacher’s relationship with a student’s family is essential to the student’s school experience.
  • Teacher-to-teacher, addressing the critical and complex nature of relationships between teachers in teams.
  • Teacher-to-administrator, emphasizing the need for authentic relationships with those who are charged with observing and guiding teachers’ growth in the profession.
  • Teacher-to-staff, discussing the value of relationships with support staff and ways these relationships can be built.

Each chapter includes helpful guidance, tools, reflective questions, and ways you can build, maintain, and restore your relationships. Every Connection Matters will help you improve your daily connections and interactions at school—both in person and virtually—to build, maintain, and restore meaningful relationships that make a difference for you and your students.

Praise for Every Connection Matters

“This book is wise, heartfelt, and actionable. The Creekmores offer an invaluable resource for all educators based on their many years of experience.”
—Elena Aguilar, author of Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators and CEO of Bright Morning

“In Every Connection Matters, Michael and Nita Creekmore have constructed the handbook on building relationships for every teacher and administrator. As educators, we must show students that we are more than just teachers, we are people who are interested in building strong relationships and deep connections with their families. Creating a joyful and engaging school begins with cultivating relationships built on trust. When that happens, school becomes a very special place for children. This book is a must-read for every teacher and leader.”
—Salome Thomas-EL, EdD, award-winning principal, teacher, author, and speaker

“Relationships are at the heart of our happiness and our effectiveness, and in Every Connection Matters, the Creekmores show us how to take care of ourselves and collaborate with others. This book is a treasure trove of ideas, strategies, and activities for building, maintaining, and restoring relationships. Reading it caused me to feel both refreshed and inspired! I highly recommend this book to teachers and principals.”
—Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD, author of The Formative Five

“Without healthy, strong, and varied relationships, a career in education would be long and lonely. In this book, authors Michael and Nita Creekmore offer strategies to ensure that doesn’t happen. With a balanced mix of personal experiences, reflective questions, and research-based ideas, readers will learn how to develop and implement strong school-based relationships. Each unique chapter will compel teachers and leaders to bridge their own experiences with those of others, providing an opportunity to reflect how choices, demeanor, and mindset affect relationships in their schools and communities.”
—Jen Schwanke, EdD, author, administrator, and educational consultant

“Every Connection Matters: How to Build, Maintain, and Restore Relationships Inside the Classroom and Out by Michael Creekmore and Nita Creekmore is an essential read for all educators. The authors compellingly outline the critical need for a variety of meaningful relationships in our schools. The book shines in its practicality, providing tangible exercises and useful tools for creating and preserving meaningful relationships. This is not just another book about the importance of connections; it’s a roadmap for how to create them.”
—Lisa Westman, ASCD Faculty Member and author of Student-Driven Differentiation and Teaching with Empathy

“Every Connection Matters is not just a book; it’s a guide for educators, administrators, and anyone invested in the well-being of our students. It reinforces the idea that fostering connections is a shared responsibility, and it offers practical strategies for cultivating these bonds. Michael and Nita Creekmore remind us that, ultimately, it’s the connections we forge that make education not only possible but truly meaningful.”
—Amen Rahh, award-winning educator and founder of K12 Crypto

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