---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If students don't think that you care and…"
description: "\"If students don't think that you care and can relate, especially as they get older, they tune you out. I didn't get it in my classes at the graduate sc..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/pedro-noguera-30207_care_if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-an_2218180.jpg"
---

#  If students don't think that you care and can relate…

![“If students don't think that you care and can relate, especially as they get older, they tune you out. I didn't get it in my classes at the graduate school of education. I got it intuitively from my own experiences as a student.” quote by Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/pedro-noguera-30207_care_if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-an_2218180.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/pedro-noguera-30207_care_if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-an_2218180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/pedro-noguera-30207_care_if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-an_2218180.jpg)

> “If students don't think that you care and can relate, especially as they get older, they tune you out. I didn't get it in my classes at the graduate school of education. I got it intuitively from my own experiences as a student.”

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Students disengage when they sense educators lack empathy or relevance, especially as they mature; genuine care fosters connection and learning.

**In simple terms:** Students tune out without feeling cared for.

Key Takeaway

Show empathy and relevance to engage learners.

Themes

education empathy student engagement relationships

Mood

empathetic concerned

Type

instructional motivational

When to use this quote

- high school classrooms
- college seminars
- online courses

Key Concepts

relational pedagogy student-centered teaching trust

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you demonstrate care in large classes?
- What signals convey authenticity to older students?

A Different Perspective

Some students may still disengage despite effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Graduate school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduate-school/) [Graduates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduates/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [I had done student films for the School Of Visual Arts and for NYU and all these schools in New York, so those were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-diaz/i-had-done-student-films-for-the-school-of-visual-arts-and-for-nyu/)

[Guillermo Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-diaz/)

> [ The venerable emeritus professors still at Yale when I entered graduate school \[in the 1960s\] may have been reserved, puritanical WASPs, but they were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/the-venerable-emeritus-professors-still-at-yale-when-i-entered/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [When it comes to educating all of us about the most basic things in life, it seems to me we need more kindergartens and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/when-it-comes-to-educating-all-of-us-about-the-most-basic-things-in/)

[Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/)

> [Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there at the sandpile at Sunday School.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/wisdom-was-not-at-the-top-of-the-graduate-school-mountain-but-there/)

[Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/)

> [I read everything I could find in English - Twain, Henry James, Hemingway, really everything. And then after a while I started writing shorter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/i-read-everything-i-could-find-in-english-twain-henry-james-hemingway/)

[Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/)

> [I'd studied English literature and American history, but the English literature, which I thought was going to be helpful to me in an immediate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-d-studied-english-literature-and-american-history-but-the-english/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [If my life is any example, the work that youth workers are doing is very, very important. It tends to get marginalized in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/if-my-life-is-any-example-the-work-that-youth-workers-are-doing-is/)

[Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/)

> [Unfortunately, the Bible won't tell you directly, "Thou shalt take the new job in marketing..." or "Thou shalt go directly from undergraduate school to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/unfortunately-the-bible-won-t-tell-you-directly-thou-shalt-take-the/)

[Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/)

> [Probably the first time I was a boss was when I was associate dean of the graduate school at the University of Southern California.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/probably-the-first-time-i-was-a-boss-was-when-i-was-associate-dean-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Through high school, college, graduate school and beyond, I had a number of relationships that were wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/through-high-school-college-graduate-school-and-beyond-i-had-a-number/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [When I finished graduate school, the first George Bush was president, and I really wanted to get out of the country. We'd just gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-king/when-i-finished-graduate-school-the-first-george-bush-was-president/)

[Lily King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-king/)

> [I think there's just been this "thing" that's developed, this way that we have of talking about our music that alienates people. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-mazzoli/i-think-there-s-just-been-this-thing-that-s-developed-this-way-that/)

[Missy Mazzoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-mazzoli/)

> [You don't go to school to become the best chef in the world right after you graduate. School is always a starting point so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-yamaguchi/you-don-t-go-to-school-to-become-the-best-chef-in-the-world-right/)

[Roy Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-yamaguchi/)

> [I was a 36C or D, and at 5' 1'', I knew that being a small person with big boobs standing in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-was-a-36c-or-d-and-at-5-1-i-knew-that-being-a-small-person-with-big/)

[Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/)

> [I went back to graduate school with the clear intention that what I wanted to do with my life was to improve societies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglass-north/i-went-back-to-graduate-school-with-the-clear-intention-that-what-i/)

[Douglass North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglass-north/)

## More by Pedro Noguera

> [New York rushed to get students into early childhood programs, but the research is clear that it has to be high quality. What we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/new-york-rushed-to-get-students-into-early-childhood-programs-but-the/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [ The origins of these \[schooling\] federal policies were tied to President Johnson's war on poverty. Supplemental funds were sent to school districts serving poor… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/the-origins-of-these-schooling-federal-policies-were-tied-to/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [That's at the core of equity: understanding who your kids are and how to meet their needs. You are still focused on outcomes, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/that-s-at-the-core-of-equity-understanding-who-your-kids-are-and-how/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [Most departments of education are set up largely to regulate schools and hold them in compliance. They don't really help schools. When a school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/most-departments-of-education-are-set-up-largely-to-regulate-schools/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [We know that African American students tend to be relational learners. It's about the relationships between a teacher and student. Students respond well to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/we-know-that-african-american-students-tend-to-be-relational-learners/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [It’s hard to think of another field in which experience is considered a liability and those who know the least about the nuts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/it-s-hard-to-think-of-another-field-in-which-experience-is-considered/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [You don't see a positive culture, stability among teachers, or leadership. We don't focus enough in our policies on creating conditions to educating kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/you-don-t-see-a-positive-culture-stability-among-teachers-or/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [Middle-class kids get to play, develop their thinking ability. Poor kids are much more likely to get regimentation under the guise of socialization. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/middle-class-kids-get-to-play-develop-their-thinking-ability-poor/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [“There must be a complete interrogation of the thinking that has allowed such practices to operate without challenge...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/there-must-be-a-complete-interrogation-of-the-thinking-that-has/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [It's about having a comprehensive vision that includes things like social supports while providing a high-quality education. It seems obvious, but when you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/it-s-about-having-a-comprehensive-vision-that-includes-things-like/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [ It's been a struggling school for many, many years, and \[that's\] not surprising since it's serving some of the most disadvantaged kids in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/it-s-been-a-struggling-school-for-many-many-years-and-that-s-not/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [Teaching in Providence and Oakland, I realized that the first thing is that it wasn't good enough to come in and assume that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/teaching-in-providence-and-oakland-i-realized-that-the-first-thing-is/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [We need to create schools that are organized to meet the needs of the kids they serve instead of what we've been doing. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/we-need-to-create-schools-that-are-organized-to-meet-the-needs-of-the/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [California, because of their Equity Funding Formula, moves a step in that direction by sending more resources to communities and students that face greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/california-because-of-their-equity-funding-formula-moves-a-step-in/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

> [Boys are still led to believe that power is associated with domination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/boys-are-still-led-to-believe-that-power-is-associated-with-domination/)

[Pedro Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

[Explore all 17 Pedro Noguera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/)

## More Care quotes

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/)

[Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/)

[Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/)

[Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/)

[James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/)

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

> [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/)

[Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/)

> [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

[Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If students don't think that you care and can relate, especially as they get older, they tune you out. I didn't get it in my classes at the graduate school of education. I got it intuitively from my own experiences as a student.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pedro Noguera"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-and-can-relate-especially-as/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Care"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-and-can-relate-especially-as/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/pedro-noguera-30207_care_if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-an_2218180.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/pedro-noguera-30207_care_if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-an_2218180.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52d/pedro-noguera-30207_care_if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-an_2218180.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If students don't think that you care and can relate, especially as they get older, they tune you out. I…” — Pedro Noguera",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Pedro Noguera",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-noguera/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If students don't think that you...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-and-can-relate-especially-as/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-noguera/if-students-don-t-think-that-you-care-and-can-relate-especially-as/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
