I look forward to September because I anticipate school starting and connecting with students. As a learning specialist, my number one job isn't teaching a curriculum—it’s building trust. I know that connection is key. So, from day one, I seek to build connections that make them feel safe, seen, and heard. We have over two hundred students in our elementary school, and I try to remember each and every name. The tool I use to help me remember is to connect their names with their stories. When a student tells me a story about herself, I can more easily remember her name. These stories become the connective glue of the relationship I build with them and their parents.