Name: TE/AR SIG FEATURED PRESENTATION: Building Strong Relationships With Students to Support Social-Emotional Development in Elementary Classrooms
Start: 2026-05-10T09:50:00-0600
End: 2026-05-10T10:35:00-0600

Welcome to the 48th Annual CoTESOL Fall Convention!
Dates: November 14-15, 2025
Location: The Conference Center, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, 1500 E. 128th Ave., Thornton, CO 80241

TE/AR SIG FEATURED PRESENTATION: Building Strong Relationships With Students to Support Social-Emotional Development in Elementary Classrooms

Sunday May 10, 2026 9:50am - 10:35am MDT

Aspen

This presentation explores how strong teacher–student relationships support social-emotional development in elementary classrooms. Adriana Cabrera, a third-grade teacher at Sopris Elementary School in Glenwood Springs, CO, conducted a year-long action research project with 21 students in her class. Observations took place during morning greetings, family events, cultural celebrations, CREW circles, and small group activities, capturing student engagement, emotional expressions, and attendance patterns.

Grounded in literature highlighting the role of trust, active listening, and inclusive classroom culture, this study documented how intentional relationship-building strategies fostered increased participation, reduced absenteeism, and a stronger sense of community. Cabrera’s findings emphasize the connection between relational practices and student well-being, as evidenced by qualitative indicators such as smiles, hugs, peer-to-peer connections, and enthusiasm for learning.

Participants will gain practical strategies for cultivating positive relationships, integrating cultural events into classroom life, and supporting both social-emotional learning and academic success. The session will also address challenges and provide recommendations for fostering trust in multilingual and culturally diverse classrooms.

Cabrera’s work affirms that for educators especially in diverse communities building authentic relationships is not supplementary but foundational to student growth, belonging, and achievement.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.09(1) ELEMENT A

Audience: Teacher Education/Action Research

Speakers

Adriana Cabrera

Sopris Elementary School

Mrs. Cabrera (Adri) is a bilingual educator with over 10 years of teaching experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Colorado Mountain College, and endorsements in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (CLD), and Spanish Language... Read More →

Sunday May 10, 2026 9:50am - 10:35am MDT
Aspen

Teacher Education/Action Research (TE/AR)

Speaker Type Invited Speaker
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

Fall 2026 CoTESOL Convention

Adriana Cabrera

Attendees (0)

Get help with the event

Fall 2026 CoTESOL Convention

Adriana Cabrera

Attendees (0)

Sign up or log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Get help with the event