This teacher has an individual handshake for every single one of his students (Video)

“Never underrate the power of relationships – with anyone.”
– Barry White Jr., Fifth Grade Teacher at Ashley Park Elementary School

Barry White Jr. is doing something a little different from most elementary school teachers. Not only is he forging and maintaining meaningful relationships with each of his students, but he’s communicating that to every single one of them in a unique way: personalized handshakes.

Inspired by LeBron James’ personal pre-game handshakes with his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates in the NBA, Barry decided to introduce one-on-one pre-class shakes with his students. Every day before class the kids cue up outside the classroom and, one by one, they face off with their teacher for their own handshake. They enter the classroom feeling energized, appreciated, and ready to learn.

At Skooli, we believe that one-on-one connections can be incredibly impactful on a student’s education. In fact, that’s part of the reason we are focused on developing a rich learning environment that’s conducive to relationship building between the tutor and his pupil. Whereas many digital learning and online tutoring destinations tend to give info and provide students with homework answers, Skooli tutors promote thorough understanding through proper mentorship and personalized learning. And unlike learning from Q&A forums or texting with a tutor, the Skooli Online Classroom uses an interactive whiteboard, audio, and video, to ensure students are learning face-to-face and getting to know their tutor.  

Students benefit significantly from positive personal connections with their educators and Barry White Jr. is proving just that with his pre-class handshakes. He knows each of his students and reminds them every single day.

Check out Barry on NBC News here:

And see all of the handshakes here: