The California Induction Conference is a two‑day event focused on supporting educators. Sessions include workshops, presentations, and keynotes that address instructional support, mentorship practices, and leadership development. It is meant for teachers to get better prepared to enter the classroom and facilitate discourse on how teachers could better go about their careers and relations with their school and students. 

However, for the 2023 Event, there was a segment dedicated to hearing student testimony towards issues faced by students and how teachers could aid in these issues to help make the classroom feel safer and promote teacher-student relationships. This is where I was given the opportunity to join 4 other students and share my thoughts on what a teacher is and what they could be through the eyes of a student

One of the questions I was asked was how a teacher should work with a troubled student who refuses to meet them halfway. I explained that there is no universal solution, because every student’s situation is different. A teacher’s role is not necessarily to “fix” the problem, but to build trust and create a space where the student feels safe to participate as a learner. Many classroom issues arise when students do not see value in their education or feel disconnected from it.

From my experience, the most meaningful progress happens when teachers make genuine efforts to connect the curriculum to students’ lives. When teachers present themselves as real people teaching other people, rather than simply delivering information and testing it afterward. Without that connection, a teacher can unintentionally feel more like a warden than a mentor, which only widens the divide between them and the student.

I emphasized that this approach will not solve every case, and each situation must be understood in its own context. Still, the effort a teacher makes to build trust and relevance can genuinely change a student’s experience. It certainly made a difference for me and for many of my friends who went on to pursue higher education.

I genuinely believe in the statement I shared, and I apply it to my own work. Whether I am an employee or serving as a lead in a job or club, I take every task seriously and pay attention to even the smallest details. I’ve always found that work becomes more meaningful, and the results noticeably better, when I fully invest myself in it. As a lead engineer, I spent countless hours, often at unusual times of day and night, solving problems and preparing for whatever came next. I made it a point to answer every question, big or small, with care and clarity. I could not expect my team to understand or value their work if I dismissed or minimized any part of it. For some members, a project might mean everything; for others, it might mean very little. Either way, I needed to show that it mattered to me.

Even in roles that might seem simple, such as working as a dishwasher, I approached the job with the same mindset. I could have done the bare minimum; worked on autopilot, completed the shift, and left the closing tasks for someone else. But that approach felt wrong to me. Doing a task mindlessly felt like shortchanging everyone, including myself. When I applied myself, everyone benefited: the coworker beside me felt less pressure, the lead didn’t have to worry about falling behind or being written up, and I earned a reputation for reliability that led to promotions and raises.

I believe that fully committing to a task removes the sense of drudgery from both school and work. When you buy in, you gain more from the experience, and the people around you benefit as well.