“They knew my name:” how trust and rapport shape the student learning journey
I teach statistics to psychology students. Whenever I share what I teach with new people, I get the same ironic response: “Oh, everyone’s favourite class!” It’s no secret that many psychology students enter the statistics classroom with a sense of dread. Whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, the narrative is remarkably consistent: “statistics are scary, I am not a math person, and I’m terrified for my grades.”
And yet, when I talk to students at the end of each course, they describe positive experiences, self-confidence, and success. Over the years, many students have offered generous compliments, telling me I was the “best stats teacher” they had ever had. Early on, I let my ego take a small bow, telling myself: I may not be the most brilliant statistician, but I’m an incredible translator. I can teach complex statistics to anyone! Of course, explaining concepts clearly is a critical teaching skill, but not something that makes a course transformative or something that I am so unique in doing.
So what actually accounted for students’ transformative experiences in a subject notoriously disliked? The answer turns out to be much simpler, and far less about me: it’s about rapport, trust, and human connection.
This relational lesson is one that I’ve had to learn repeatedly, but one event illustrated it for me more than any other. Completing CELT’s Excellence in Teaching Program (ETP) required an evaluation of a teaching initiative. I opted for an educational developer to conduct a student focus group at the end of a newly developed advanced statistics course that used alternative grading. About halfway through the semester, I began to regret my decision to use this for my ETP evaluation. Why?
This course happened in the worst teaching semester of my career.
It was my first semester back from maternity leave during the tail end of COVID, with a sick toddler catching every daycare virus, a partner working out of town, and a brand-new course prep. I was severely sleep-deprived and constantly ill, my lecture notes had typos, and tutorial software scripts contained errors that prevented student completion. It was a perfect storm of chaos. I was convinced I was failing my students.
Yet when the educational developer shared the focus group transcript, it brought tears to my eyes. Students hadn't fixated on the mistakes in my materials or even my tired delivery; they spoke about a transformative learning journey stemming from feeling seen, supported, and valued by an instructor who was so obviously stretched thin herself. I saw them and they saw me. None of us perfect, but all learning and growing together.
That experience wasn't a fluke. Through my subsequent work as a CELT Teaching Fellow and in my educational research lab, data repeatedly reinforce that instructor-student rapport predicts positive student outcomes far more reliably than any specific pedagogical intervention, teaching technique, or course design feature.
These results do not imply that course design is irrelevant. Rather, they highlight that effective teaching practices don't exist in a vacuum. Instead of chasing the latest instructional trends, specific course practices should naturally flow from a foundational belief in relationships.
Here are a few examples from my teaching. First and foremost, I openly discuss the motivations behind my teaching and assessment approaches and (re)design choices with students throughout the course. Part of that includes explicit statements around the value and skills of the material for them. I implement structural 48-hour grace periods for assignments so that students do not have to disclose personal details of last-minute emergencies. I include some low stakes assignments that are completion graded and allow for mistakes without grade penalties. And even in large classes, I do my best to learn and practice saying my students’ names.
This simple act of learning students’ names was brought up repeatedly as something that positively impacted students. In an interview conducted by an external research assistant, one student shared,
“there were hundreds of us and she knew everyone's name. It was amazing. Like, I don't know how, because not everyone introduced themselves. Whenever she called on anyone and greeted me by name, she really made me feel like I was learning one-on-one with her.”
Here’s a confession though: I did not know everyone’s name and sometimes I called students by the wrong name before apologizing and repeating the correct name. But those stumbles modelled that mistakes and corrections are okay. And most importantly, students felt the quiet impact of an instructor seeing them as a person.
Prioritizing relationships doesn’t mean compromising academic rigour or abandoning course content. When students feel connected and supported, they are far more motivated to challenge themselves.
Teaching excellence lies in guiding students on their learning journey rather than dictating what they should know. After all, a “sage on the stage” offers content without connection, and students now have generative AI for that.
Centering relationships naturally puts TMU’s strategic priorities into practice in enhancing the student learning journey by supporting our people and community. As educators face mounting pressure to do more with less, we do not need to burn ourselves out striving for perfection. Instead, let’s refocus on the heart of education: the relationships we build with our students.
Student reflections
Dr. Alyssa Counsell was recently recognized with the 2025–2026 OCUFA Award of Distinction for Teaching Excellence. Below, some of Alyssa’s students share their perspectives on the impact of her relational teaching approaches.
“If it weren't for Alyssa's teaching, I wouldn't be where I am today in statistics, not only because of the knowledge she's shared, but because she transformed the way I approach learning. She creates an environment where challenge feels like an opportunity rather than a risk, replacing my fear of failure with the confidence to tackle complex methods knowing that learning, rather than perfection, is the goal.”
"Dr. Counsell is the epitome of an exceptional educator and a model of teaching excellence. What sets her apart most is the way students respond to her teaching. She has an extraordinary ability to make even the most challenging and abstract concepts accessible, while fostering an environment where students feel comfortable asking difficult questions, engaging deeply with the material, and growing with confidence. Her passion for teaching is evident in every interaction, and she consistently goes above and beyond to support her students' learning and success. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have learned from her during my graduate studies."
“I took Dr. Alyssa Counsell's PS8715: Structural Equation Modelling course, and she has also served as a reader on my comprehensive requirement and as a member of my dissertation committee. Across four post-secondary degrees, I have never experienced a course structured quite like hers. Her flipped classroom transformed an intimidating statistical topic into an engaging, collaborative learning experience by allowing students to learn foundational material at their own pace and dedicating class time to hands-on problem-solving, discussion, and individualized support. Beyond her exceptional expertise as a quantitative researcher, what stands out most is her investment in her students' learning and growth. She creates an environment where students feel supported to ask questions, think critically, and build confidence, making complex methods feel both accessible and genuinely exciting.”
"Dr. Counsell's teaching approach created a space where I felt supported and capable in my learning. I gained conceptual knowledge and technical skills, but most importantly, I developed a sense of self-efficacy that extends beyond the classroom."
“Dr. Counsell's use of individualized assessments and alternative grading in her graduate classes shifts the focus from grades to actual learning and personal growth. Her investment in getting to know each student and tailoring her mentorship to our individual needs creates a learning environment where we feel supported, motivated, and confident enough to take risks.”
"Across my six years of graduate studies, Alyssa taught me in formal courses, met with me individually to clarify statistical issues and address questions specific to my research, and, perhaps most importantly, served as a mentor with whom I felt safe discussing my anxiety and self-doubt about statistics. As a stressed and often anxious graduate student, I frequently felt a need to understand everything I studied in great depth. When applied to complex statistical concepts, this became nearly impossible. Throughout our many interactions, Alyssa reassured me when I doubted myself, validated the complexity of the statistical issues I was confronting, and acknowledged that many of the methods now expected in psychological research are topics that people devote entire PhDs to understanding. She helped me distinguish between what I needed to understand in detail and what I needed to understand only conceptually or in broad strokes. Her ability to combine statistical expertise, applied guidance, reassurance, and sensitivity to the anxiety that can accompany learning complex statistics is ultimately what allowed me to move from moments of paralysis toward meaningful progress in my research."