"Last summer, I worked with a student who was difficult to motivate. He constantly had an excuse as to why he needed a break and he was always pushing boundaries with me. It got to the point that I would grow anxious when I knew I had an upcoming session with him. So at our next session, I decided to just talk openly with the student. I knew this particular student would not learn from me without the foundation of a positive, trusting relationship. We spent the first half of the session talking about his interests, sharing pictures from our phones, and shooting hoops in the nerf hoop in my office. That little bit of intentionality opened this student up and made our next few sessions run much smoother. This situation taught me to prioritize relationships and recognize real human needs before diving right into academics."