I believe it is entirely true that a child will never learn from someone who they are not connected to. Through my experience as an EA, I saw this first hand. Students must feel connected to you in order to learn from you, and students need to feel respected in order to respect you. We assume this much in the adult world, but forget it when it comes to children. It really all comes down to that connection fuels respect, respect builds a relationship, a relationship makes us feel loved and seen, and when we feel seen is when we are able to grow.