When Students Get on Your Nerves—and Why That Matters
From Conversations Unleashed: Rising Together by Michael Bonner
February 3, 2026 · 14 min · Season 3 · Episode 6
About this episode
Michael Bonner discusses the challenges and importance of relationships between students, teachers, and parents during developmental changes.
Let’s tell the truth—students, teachers, and parents get on each other’s nerves. After returning from a trip to Utah with our 7th graders, I was reminded that growth brings friction. In this episode, Michael Bonner unpacks what “iron sharpens iron” really looks like in the classroom, why relationships matter more during developmental shifts, and why the middle of the year is the moment to lean in, not pull back.
People in this episode
Host: Michael Bonner
Topics covered
- student-teacher relationships
- developmental shifts
- classroom dynamics
- growth and friction
- leaning in
Keywords
- students
- teachers
- relationships
- growth
- friction
- classroom
- developmental shifts
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Utah
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