As an instructor, I think it is important to connect with your students, so you can learn what their STRESSORS are. Learning what stresses your students can go a long way towards providing assistance or pointing that student in the right direction. I believe this to be extraordinarily true with my younger students. Their world is different. I believe we as instructors need to be careful not to project our feelings about what should or should not stress our students. We talk about identifying theses stressors, but we need to without judgment. I know for myself that can be difficult at times. Furthermore, when attempting to make these connections and learning about your students, how comfortable are you? How trained are you? Have you ever dealt with transference and countertransference as an instructor? How will this “connection” be viewed by your institution? This subject matter is multilayered.