It’s a matter of the heart. When families begin to understand that you care about their children they themselves begin to feel cared for. So we, as teachers, must grow to care about each and every child. If we do not care about our students then we have already lost our families. Why would a parent want to connect to a teacher who either openly or subtly dislikes their child? I ask you to put yourself in their place. I ask that you do whatever inner work necessary to build love and compassion for each one of your students no matter how difficult they may be and no matter how many you have. Yes, this is deep, serious, and difficult. But it must be part of the teaching and learning process.