ABSTRACT
Benefits of the high-trust classroom can be found all around you. Just look at
your colleagues who consistently demonstrate a high level of success. Con-
sider movies such as Lean on Me, Dead Poets Society, Stand and Deliver, The Ron
Clark Story, Freedom Writers, and Mr. Holland’s Opus. These are more than sto-
ries, these are examples of the incredible success that many teachers (perhaps
you!) produce year after year. The common denominator in these extraordi-
nary stories is the slow journey of building relationships and winning
student trust. Yes, trust works, but trust requires skill and conscious effort.
