Teacher-Student Relationships Matter

  • Posted March 17, 2021
  • By Gianna Cacciatore
  • Counseling and Mental Health
  • Disruption and Crises
  • Teachers and Teaching

Teacher smiling at student

Effective teachers form authentic, caring relationships with their students. In the best of times, forming these relationships can be a challenge; in a post-pandemic world, where many teachers are engaging with students remotely, building relationships can feel impossible. Fortunately, says trained counselor and educator Megan Marcus , educators can learn the skills necessary to build strong relationships, both in person and online.

Marcus is the founder of FuelEd , a Houston-based nonprofit committed to teaching these skills to educators around the country. By providing teachers with access to one-on-one counseling, group workshops, and educator training, FuelEd hopes to close what it perceives to be a gap in educator preparation: the space between what an educator is expected to do — build strong, secure relationships with students, families, and coworkers — and the level of social and emotional support educators actually receive. Inspired by Marcus’ background in human psychology, Fuel Ed leads with the belief that teachers cannot effectively care for their students unless they care for themselves first.   

“Just one relationship with a caregiver throughout a lifespan can actually change the brain’s development, heal trauma, and promote learning. Educators have the potential to utilize this power. Many do organically, through naturally forming secure relationships. But we could do so much more if educators were equipped with the skills and self-awareness to systematically do this work,” explains Marcus.

Here, Marcus offers four steps educators can take to promote emotional intelligence and build relationship-driven schools, both in-person and online.

1. Learn the science behind strong relationships.

Research shows that the way a person relates to caregivers early in life can impact that person’s relationships later on. For example, explains Marcus, “if you had insecure relationships in your childhood, you’re more likely to build relationships with others that aren’t secure.” The good news? Once identified, a person’s relationship patterns can change. That means educators can learn the skills behind secure relationship-building — and they can teach them. This gives educators the opportunity to, within their daily interactions, strengthen the ways their students relate to others throughout life.

2. Embrace the power of empathic listening.

Empathic listening means listening to what a student has to say — a student’s “strong emotions and painful experiences,” says Marcus — and not responding. No reassuring, no offering advice. Just listening. While deceptively simple, this type of listening can help a student build self-regulation skills. That’s because it kicks off a powerful interpersonal cycle. “Someone comes to you, they share their feelings, and instead of jumping in to problem solve, you listen. That’s very trust-building. Now, not only is this person calmer and better able to solve their own problems, but they want to come back to you again, share more. And the more you can learn about them and their needs, the more you, as the administrator and the teacher, can be respond to their needs,” explains Marcus.

“Just one relationship with a caregiver throughout a lifespan can actually change the brain’s development, heal trauma, and promote learning. ... We could do so much more if educators were equipped with the skills and self-awareness to systematically do this work.”

Empathic listening, she adds, can also help school leaders build stronger, more positive relationships with staff.

To make space for empathic listening, educators can prioritize opportunities for one-on-one connections in scheduled check-ins or drop-in office hours. Since this type of listening can take place in person, on Zoom, or over the phone, this is a skill that all educators, no matter their learning modality, can use to form more secure relationships.

3. Practice genuine vulnerability.

Often, educators feel restrained by the need to exert authority in a space, so they refrain from sharing their genuine frustrations or emotions. This hinders the development of secure attachments, says Marcus, and limits the social-emotional culture of a school. Instead, she suggests, educators should share their experiences directly. Once one person shows vulnerability, another person will open up. Only then can secure relationships blossom.

This practice fuels student-teacher relationships, but it is also key to creating an over-arching culture of safety in a school. “The more that principals can model empathy and self-awareness, the more they can share their journey with teachers and be vulnerable, the more it’s going to encourage educators to engage in the work,” says Marcus.

If you are educating in person, you can practice sharing personal details in informal exchanges with both students and colleagues. If you are educating online, Marcus says, you can use virtual opportunities, like introductory videos, pet cameos, or Zoom dance parties, to introduce your personality to your school community.   

4. Provide educators with opportunities to do their own healing.

Teaching is, at its core, interpersonal work. It requires high levels of emotional intelligence. When educators approach the work unprepared for its social-emotional load, says Marcus, relationships suffer. Her advice? Give educators access to spaces and resources where they can do their own introspection and healing. When teachers are invited to engage in the therapeutic process of unpacking their personal stories and triggers, it can lead to social-emotional growth. The more that educators are able to improve their own social-emotional intelligence, the more students will be able to learn and feel safe.

Additional Resources:

  • FuelEd's professional development workshops for educators.
  • From Making Caring Common: How to Build Empathy and Strengthen your School Community
  • Teaching Social and Emotional Skills All Day
  • Safeguarding the Mental Health of Teachers
  • Trauma Informed video series

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Teacher And Student Relationship (Essay Sample)

Teacher and student relationship.

Teachers hold the highest regard for students; ideally, students are encouraged to respect their teachers and emulate them. Teachers play important roles in molding student’s personality and the type of relationship teacher develop with students will determine the student’s academic and personal growth in the future. Developing a positive teacher-student relationship means creating an encouraging learning environment where students are free to interact with both teachers and their peers.  Effective communication alone does not offer effective building blocks to a strong teacher-student relationship; the learning environment plays a key role nurturing student’s abilities.

One of the most challenging aspects of nurturing a good teacher-student relationship is the different personality traits of students. Some students are hardworking but are introverts, while other students are naturally aggressive, hence distracting others affecting the learning environment. Students have varied abilities; other students might not fit in a highly competitive learning environment. Teachers need to address such challenges by not only being extremely patient. Teachers need to be lenient at the same time be strict, any excess of any of the two might hinder students from learning effectively.

The effective teacher-student relationship evolves and needs time, teacher act as mothers for students during their early years in school.  They guide them and encourage them to be positive about life. As students progress to secondary level, teachers focus more on academic achievement forgetting about the life values.  Concentrating on academic achievements alone and not instilling moral values might affect student personality. There is the need for teachers to make adjusted in their teaching approaches to accommodate student varied need. Students come from mixed cultural and social backgrounds; therefore, teachers need incorporate the different values to make students feel part of the learning process.

Giving individualized student attention means allocating appropriate time to address different needs of students. Having a better understanding of students means understanding their values, their weak areas, and challenges and addressing them individually. Being able to develop a level of understanding with every student, they will feel valued, and this would boost their self-esteem. All these positive behavior will be reflected in their grades and their general behavior.

Teachers need to make students feel accepted by being warm and nurturing, and teachers need to be aware of student’s thoughts and feelings and make them feel important.  All these require being present within them throughout the day. The size of the class and the number of students in a class is vital in enhancing good student’s teacher relationship. A larger class would mean spending more time with many students that can be difficult .Teachers need to provide individualized attention to each student; therefore, a small class would be a better environment for both teachers and students.

Building a positive relationship with students makes students positive about school in general. Students become free to make mistakes and seek help whenever necessary. It is not surprising that research studies reveal that constructive teacher student relationship has positively affected student academic performance. The natures of relationship teachers have with their students have largely affected student’s socioeconomic status and their professional development.  Teacher’s relationship with students matters more. Any teacher who wants to make a real and lasting difference among his students need to put more effort in building high-performance students through effective interaction and creating a conducive learning environment for all his students.

improving the student teacher relationship essay

Why Teacher-Student Relationships Matter

improving the student teacher relationship essay

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Students spend more than 1,000 hours with their teacher in a typical school year. That’s enough time to build a relationship that could ignite a student’s lifetime love of learning—and it’s enough time for the dynamic to go totally off the rails.

Education watchers have long known that the relationship with a teacher can be critically important to how well students learn. But emerging research is giving a clearer picture than ever of how teachers can build and leverage strong relationships with their students.

“People sometimes mistake a kind of casual familiarity and friendliness for the promotion of really deep relationships that are about a child’s potential, their interests, their strengths, and weaknesses,” said Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Southern California who studies the effects of emotions and mindsets on learning.

“A lot of teachers ... have really strong abilities to engage socially with the students, but then it’s not enough,” she said. “You have to go much deeper than that and actually start to engage with students around their curiosity, their interests, their habits of mind through understanding and approaching material to really be an effective teacher.”

In a forthcoming longitudinal study with Bank Street College of Education, Immordino-Yang is tracking how the highly effective teachers of low-income students set classroom norms and feelings of trust and safety for students—but also leverage that foundation to promote students’ deeper thinking and engagement.

Why are teacher-student relationships important?

“The relational part of teaching may very well be its most underrated aspect. ... When teachers are good at building relationships with students, the skill is seen more as cover for a lack of content knowledge or wherewithal to instruct with rigor,” James Ford, the 2015 North Carolina State Teacher of the Year and the program director for the Public School Forum of North Carolina, told Education Week . To the contrary, he added, “Our first job as teachers is to make sure that we learn our students, that we connect with them on a real level, showing respect for their culture and affirming their worthiness to receive the best education possible.”

A Review of Educational Research analysis of 46 studies found that strong teacher-student relationships were associated in both the short- and long-term with improvements on practically every measure schools care about: higher student academic engagement, attendance, grades, fewer disruptive behaviors and suspensions, and lower school dropout rates. Those effects were strong even after controlling for differences in students’ individual, family, and school backgrounds.

Teachers benefit, too. A study in the European Journal of Psychology of Education found that a teacher’s relationship with students was the best predictor of how much the teacher experienced joy versus anxiety in class.

How does a teacher’s approach affect that relationship?

In a 2018 study, Arizona State University researcher Victoria Theisen-Homer found different teacher-training programs prioritized different kinds of relationships with students:

  • An instrumental focus involved a limited, one-way relationship in which teachers cull bits of information about students specifically to motivate them to behave well and focus on teacher-directed tasks. The relationships “were structured as a controlled means to a particular end: student compliance,” she found. “Students learned that their value was tied to the degree to which they worked hard and behaved in line with what mostly white authority figures demanded.”
  • A reciprocal focus required teachers to gather complex information and develop a holistic understanding of their students, inviting the students to grapple with content and problems together. “These students not only learned to think for themselves, but also had adults who affirmed and responded to their thoughts and experiences. Such interactions prepared them to engage with authority figures, and to someday hold positions of authority themselves,” Theisen-Homer said.

The study also found in an analysis of two of these programs that teachers trained in the instrumental focus were more likely to go on to teach in low-income, high-minority schools, while those trained in reciprocal relationships ended up in schools with more high-income and white students. It was not clear why teachers ended up sorting in this way, but it raised concerns about differences in the kinds of relationships high- and low-income students might experience with teachers.

“Sometimes teachers don’t understand the importance that their relationship with each student has on that student’s identity and sense of belonging,” said Vicki Nishioka, a senior researcher with Education Northwest who studies teacher-student relationships. “What gets in the way of that is a more authoritarian kind of discipline and interaction approach with students, which really doesn’t work.”

For example, a 2016 study randomly assigned teachers to increase their positive interactions with students. Students of teachers who boosted their ratio to five positive comments and interactions for every negative one had significantly less disruptive behavior and more time on task academically than the students of a control group of teachers.

How can teachers improve their relationships with students?

In a word: Empathy. Across several recent studies, researchers have found that teachers who cultivate empathy for and with their students are able to manage students’ behavior and academic engagement better.

Nishioka finds that trying to suppress biases or stereotypes about students can sometimes make them worse, but practicing perspective-taking—actively imagining how a student might perceive or be affected by a situation—can reduce bias and deepen teacher-student relationships. She recommended teachers:

  • Talk to students to understand differences in their perceptions and expectations in class.
  • Research cultural differences between teachers and students to head off cultural misunderstandings, particularly around norms, styles, and language.
  • Teach and model perspective-taking for students in class.

How can teachers maintain healthy boundaries with students?

Experts caution that for teachers and students, “relationship” does not equal “friend,” particularly on social media. Many districts have rules against teachers following or friending current students on Facebook, Twitter, or other platforms, in part because it might open teachers to liability if they see inappropriate behavior from students online.

Teachers also should be upfront with students who confide in them that they are required by law to report evidence of abuse and can’t keep secrets that could put students in danger.

Teacher and education author Starr Sackstein, whose blog is hosted on the edweek.org website, also recommends that while teachers can and should share personal stories if they are “purposeful and appropriate” to the discussion, they should use these to model for students what level of detail is appropriate for sharing in social conversations.

How can relationships with students support teacher quality?

While student feedback is often incorporated into teacher evaluations in higher education, it is rarely a direct part of K-12 teacher evaluations. But that doesn’t mean districts can’t use student feedback to improve teaching practice, and in particular, such feedback can be used to help teachers build deeper relationships with students.

For example, the High Tech High Media Arts charter school in San Diego trains students using a six-week course to act as observers. The students met regularly with the teacher to give feedback about their communication skills and engagement in the classroom, and to brainstorm better ways to reach out to students. Teachers and administrators found that going through the training gave students better understanding of the teachers’ roles. School staff members said that teachers also “developed deeper relationships with students, interacted with students in a more positive way during class, communicated information about projects and assignments to students more clearly, generated better questions to stimulate student dialogue during Socratic seminars, and created more collaborative learning environments for students.”

A version of this article appeared in the March 13, 2019 edition of Education Week as Why Teacher-Student Relationships Matter

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Essay on Relationship Between Teacher and Student

Students are often asked to write an essay on Relationship Between Teacher and Student in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Relationship Between Teacher and Student

Introduction.

The relationship between a teacher and a student is a unique bond. It’s a blend of respect, trust, and mutual learning.

The teacher-student relationship is crucial for a student’s growth. Teachers guide students, shaping their minds and futures.

Teachers provide knowledge and foster curiosity. Students, in turn, bring enthusiasm and fresh perspectives.

A strong teacher-student relationship can inspire a lifelong love of learning. It’s a partnership that benefits both parties.

250 Words Essay on Relationship Between Teacher and Student

The dynamic of teacher-student relationship.

The teacher-student relationship is a fundamental component of effective education. It is a complex dynamic that transcends the simple transfer of knowledge and extends to shaping the holistic development of the student.

The Role of the Teacher

The teacher, in this relationship, is not just an information provider, but a mentor and a guide. They are responsible for creating an environment conducive to learning, where students can freely express their ideas and concerns. They are also tasked with instilling in their students a love for learning, critical thinking skills, and values such as respect and responsibility.

The Role of the Student

On the other hand, the student is an active participant in this relationship. They are not just passive receivers of information, but are expected to engage with the material, ask questions, and contribute their unique perspectives. The student’s role also includes showing respect towards their teacher and taking responsibility for their own learning.

The Impact of this Relationship

The relationship between a teacher and a student can significantly impact the student’s academic success and personal development. A positive relationship can boost the student’s self-esteem, motivation, and engagement in the learning process. Conversely, a negative relationship can hinder a student’s academic progress and affect their attitude towards learning.

In conclusion, the teacher-student relationship is a complex, multifaceted dynamic that plays a crucial role in the educational process. It is a reciprocal relationship that requires effort and understanding from both parties to be fruitful.

500 Words Essay on Relationship Between Teacher and Student

The essence of the teacher-student relationship.

The teacher-student relationship is a fundamental aspect of education, shaping not only the academic outcomes of students but also their social and emotional development. This relationship is a dynamic and reciprocal process, where both parties influence and are influenced by each other. It is based on mutual respect, trust, understanding, and shared objectives.

Role of a Teacher in Shaping the Relationship

A teacher’s role extends beyond the mere delivery of knowledge. They are responsible for creating a conducive learning environment that fosters trust, respect, and open communication. This can be achieved by being approachable, understanding, and respectful of students’ individual needs and backgrounds. A teacher who is empathetic and patient can inspire students to explore their potential and overcome challenges.

Student’s Responsibility in the Relationship

On the other hand, students have a responsibility to respect their teachers and engage actively in the learning process. They need to be open to feedback, show commitment to their studies, and participate actively in class. This active engagement not only enhances their learning experience but also strengthens their relationship with the teacher.

Impact on Learning Outcomes

The quality of the teacher-student relationship significantly impacts learning outcomes. A positive relationship can motivate students to learn, improve their academic performance, and develop critical thinking skills. It can also reduce classroom issues such as disruptive behavior, fostering a more effective learning environment.

Emotional and Social Development

Beyond academics, the teacher-student relationship plays a crucial role in students’ emotional and social development. Teachers can model positive social behavior and provide emotional support, helping students develop resilience, emotional intelligence, and social skills. A strong relationship with a teacher can also boost a student’s self-esteem and confidence.

The Power of Positive Relationships

Positive teacher-student relationships are powerful tools that can transform the educational experience. They can instill a lifelong love of learning, empower students to overcome challenges, and equip them with the skills necessary for success in the 21st century. Therefore, fostering these relationships should be a priority for all educators.

In conclusion, the teacher-student relationship is a cornerstone of effective education. It requires mutual respect, understanding, and shared commitment from both parties. It influences not only academic outcomes but also students’ emotional and social development. As such, cultivating positive teacher-student relationships is essential for a holistic educational experience.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on If I Were a Teacher
  • Essay on Importance of Teacher
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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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The Importance of Student-Teacher Relationships

Reilly Fitzmorris, Sarina Russo, Shelbie Coristine, Gabby Rivolta, Patricia Beninato

Please cite this page as:

Coristine, S., Russo, S., Fitzmorris, R., Beninato, P., & Rivolta, G. (2022, April 1). The importance of student-teacher relationships . Classroom Practice in 2022. Retrieved [date], from https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/educ5202/chapter/the-importance-of-student-teacher-relationships/

What Is A Student-Teacher Relationship?

A student-teacher relationship in the classroom is a positive relationship between the teacher and the student in efforts to gain trust and respect from each other. This relationship may consist of getting to know your students better, providing choice and encouraging the students to become stronger learners everyday. By doing this teachers are showing respect to their students, valuing their individuality and being polite. Having a positive relationship with your students helps them become more successful in the classroom as well as makes your classroom a safe and welcoming environment for all.

Ways To Build A Student-Teacher Relationship

There are many tips and tricks that can be used to build a strong student teacher relationship. One way that a strong student teacher relationship can be created is by making it apparent that the teacher cares about the students (“6 Ways to Build Strong Teacher-Student Relationships with SEL”, 2022). This can be done by talking with your students, such as asking about their day. Another way could be by listening to your students, this can be done by hearing their opinions, taking into account their interests, and by learning each student’s unique learning styles (“6 Ways to Build Strong Teacher-Student Relationships with SEL”, 2022). As well you can develop mutual trust with your students, such as providing them with choices and always having their best interest in mind (“6 Ways to Build Strong Teacher-Student Relationships with SEL”, 2022). In addition, you always have to be respectful and fair with each and everyone of your students (“6 Ways to Build Strong Teacher-Student Relationships with SEL”, 2022). You can ensure this by not picking favorites and having the same corrected behavior for each student. Furthermore, you can get to know your students and their families. This can be done by paying attention to your students during class and offering them opportunities to talk or share what they want about their families. Lastly, by giving your students positive words of encouragement and constructive criticism (“6 Ways to Build Strong Teacher-Student Relationships with SEL”, 2022). This is important due to the fact that it creates trust with your students, as they know they can rely on you to be honest. Of course, there are many other alternative ways to build a positive student teacher relationship, but these are some great examples of how to start.

Advantages of a Student-Teacher Relationship

Student- teacher relationships have displayed many advantages in the classroom. To start, students who share a positive relationship with their teacher develop stronger social-emotional skills. In addition, these students are more likely to absorb an increased amount of academic knowledge (Positive teacher-student relationships have cascading benefits, 2021). The result of a strong student-teacher relationship is that it allows students to feel confident through exploration and taking risks in their academic tasks. In short, students who have a positive student-teacher relationship demonstrate a stronger performance in the classroom (Positive teacher-student relationships have cascading benefits, 2021). However, one of the most important impacts of a positive student-teacher relationship is the production of an environment that incorporates mutual respect. One way an educator can produce a strong relationship with a student is to explicitly define learning goals and expectations in a positive manner. This could look different for groups of students or individual students. The strong relationship will allow for educators to be aware of their students’ learning and adjust their learning goals and expectations as needed (Admin, 2017). In the same manner, the educator should allow opportunities for students of all learning styles to participate in class discussions through oral and written communication. In addition to academic advantages, positive student-teacher relationships improve mental health and assists students in developing self-worth (Admin, 2017). Oftentimes, students look up to their educators as mentors. With this in mind, students are likely to feel pride when the educator encourages them in their learning and social interactions. Social competence, problem-solving abilities, autonomy, and a feeling of a bright future or purpose are protective elements that boost resilience, these all can be developed in a supportive teaching atmosphere (Bondy et al., 2007). As noted, students benefit from positive student-teacher relationships. Likewise, educators benefit as well. While creating strong relationships with their students, educators are strengthening their own interpersonal and professional skills (Admin, 2017). By strengthening their interpersonal communication skills, educators are more likely to respond effectively to stressful situations. In addition, educators are able to form relationships with parents and coworkers. In summary, it can be noted that students and educators equally benefit from the creation of positive student-teacher relationships.

The Importance Of Student-Teacher Relationships: Short and Long Term

As stated, student-teacher relationships are highly essential in an effective classroom. Specifically, student-teacher relationships are important for students in their short term and long term education. Student-teacher relationships are important in the short term because it creates a thriving classroom environment, helps students develop self worth and improves student mental health (Buffet, 2019). In the same manner, these positive relationships may decrease behavioral problems and promote academic success. Student- teacher relationships help foster the academic success of students. With this being said, student-teacher relationships assist students in the short term. These relationships support students for the specific year they spend in that educational setting with the educator (Buffet, 2019). Likewise, a positive student-teacher relationship is very important in the long term because it gives students confidence as well as ensuring that they know that their ideas are valuable. In turn, this allows students to carry this confidence throughout their future years pursuing academics. Also, this confidence and recognition of self-worth can be seen in social and emotional aspects of the students life. Another long term effect is that positive teacher relationships teach students that mistakes are an indication that they are learning. Learning is ongoing and students are able to identify this through the production of positive student-teacher relationships. This type of relationship will foster confidence in the long-term for the student.

Causes of Poor Student Teacher Relationships

Poor teacher-student relationships result from the instructor’s lack of awareness. Some students require tailored educational approaches since they do not respond to learning in the same way as others. When a teacher fails to regard an individual student’s educational needs, relationship problems between teachers and students arise. Each student’s ability to learn and interact with educators is influenced by their personality, family backgrounds, mental processes, learning styles, priorities, maturity levels, and academic ambitions (Tucker, 2021). When possible, teachers should treat each student as an individual who deserves one-on-one attention and specialized, concentrated education. In addition, a poor student-teacher relationship will develop if the educator’s main or only priority in the classroom is academics (Tucker, 2021). In correspondence with academics, students need to feel cared for and have the chance to feel strong emotions. Educators are responsible for building relationships with students that are not surface level or academically focused. Students should feel that their educator is someone they can trust and communicate freely with. The lack of empathy displayed by an educator can result in a poor student-teacher relationship.

We interviewed 8 individuals all in different sections of the educational field. We asked them a series of questions on student-teacher relationships. The interviewees requested to stay anonymous, but all are familiar with different roles within the education community. The following are their answers.

First Interviewer

Grade(s) you teach or please indicate role if not in a classroom teaching role:

  • Grade 2, Grade 3

What do positive teacher-student relationships look and feel like in the classroom?

  • mutual respect – respectful interactions
  • Open communication
  • Teacher is supportive but encourages independence
  • Individuality of each student is valued
  • Kind and polite interactions
  • Honest and kind feedback is given to students
  • Teachers get to know their students and their differences
  • Teacher believes in each student
  • Simple gestures shared (hello and goodbye, a smile, a tap on the shoulder) What do you believe is the strongest indicator of positive teacher-student relationships?
  • Communication that is respectful between the two

What factors influence the teacher-student relationship in the classroom?

  • Treating students with respect and supporting them encourages them to be more motivated and engaged. When students know that their teacher loves and supports them, they are more likely to be more self-directed and want to succeed. This positive teacher-student relationship also encourages positive relationships with peers.

Second Interviewer

  • Grade(s) you teach or please indicate role if not in a classroom teaching role: Grade 4, Grade 6, Grade 8
  • In order for any relationship to be successful, there has to be respect and trust. The teacher is the adult and the student is the child. It isn’t a friendship. There have to be boundaries or else nothing would be accomplished. As an adult, you will wear many hats… doctor, parent, nurse, psychiatrist. The child needs to know you care. Caring means listening, showing empathy and sensitivity. Caring also means correcting children when they make a mistake, academically and with the choices they make. Establish clear and concise rules. Address inappropriate behavior, but also praise the positive. It’s okay to provide incentives, however some things are non- negotiable. Structure is so important, as is routine. Be fair and consistent. Treating everyone fairly does not mean you treat everyone the same. Depends on the needs of the child. Laugh with them. Laugh at yourself.

What do you believe is the strongest indicator of positive teacher-student relationships?

  • Get to know your students. Talk to them. Learn what’s important to them, what motivates them, what shuts them down. Communication with home keeps everyone on the same page. Try to formulate your own take on a child. Some people just don’t click, meaning a child maybe struggled with a former teacher, but don’t let that teacher’s opinion cloud your judgment.
  • Pay close attention to how a child interacts with other children. Be a confidence builder. Be a coach. Offer suggestions when there is conflict, but let them work it out. Be a mediator. Allow and encourage them to own their behaviour, the good and not so good. Make every child feel important and relevant. Let them know their ideas are helpful and appreciated. Empower them. Acknowledge their strengths and achievements.

Third Interviewer

  • Literacy Teacher
  • Positive teacher-student relationships look and feel calm, positive, respectful, open, safe and flexible.
  • Respect. I think that both the teacher and the student need to feel respected. When a student feels respected, they feel safe and are able to share ideas, take risks and focus on learning.
  • number of students in the classroom
  • number of adults in the classroom
  • student needs

Fourth Interviewer

  • Kindergarten Prep
  • Good listener
  • Kindness/Caring
  • Communication
  • Value individuality
  • Open minded
  • Positive interactions
  • Empathy and communication.
  • Building a safe environment for the student through good communication allows the students to feel like they can trust their teacher.
  • Also having empathy for and with your students will allow you to manage students’ behavior and academic engagement.
  • The attitude of the educator towards a student is a major influencing factor to the teacher-student relationship. Positive student relationships (good rapport) are fundamental to success. When students feel safe and supported, they’re more likely to engage in learning and have better educational outcomes. Plus, when students have positive interactions with teachers, they have fewer behavioral problems.

Fifth Interviewer

  • Program Resource Teacher
  • Mutual respect, trust, communication that is open and honest-student can share their needs and the teacher can share their needs and both trust that each will do their best to meet those needs
  • Engaged learners- if they are engaged it is because the teacher has met their unique learning styles/levels/needs through differentiation and universal design
  • Teacher has to have constant and consistent and honest conversations with students about their needs, teacher has to show students that they took their conversation seriously and honoured their conversation, student will develop trust over time that the teacher is doing their best and then student will learn to listen to what the teacher or adult needs and do their best to honour it
  • Team work between home school and student- but student has to have at least one adult at home that cares and shows a effort on a consistent basis
  • This conversation was a scripted and works with every student Dr Ross Greene (conversations are modeled) and Shanker’s self regulation research
  • I took the lense of a struggling student, which all students can become if their needs are not met

Sixth Interviewer

  • Elementary Curriculum Consultant
  • In a classroom with positive teacher/student relationships you would feel it when you walk in the room- a sense of calm and belonging. It would be a warm and inviting classroom. Every student would know they are valued and cared for. It would look like a community of mutual respect, open dialogue/communication, and students engaged in learning. Opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning in ways that build their confidence and belief in themself would be evident.
  • A caring teacher who knows and believes in their students
  • Teachers who take time to get to know their students- the ways they learn best, what motivates them, what is important to them, background etc can build stronger relationships with their students.
  • It is important that teachers build positive relationships with the student’s family/caregivers as well.

Seventh Interviewer

  • Technology Support Teacher
  • Student – teacher relationships develop over the course of the year. At the beginning of the year, it’s critical that the teacher intentionally work towards getting to know each student. Asking questions about their day, evening prior, how they’re doing, etc. helps to show students that the teacher cares about them. Setting a positive, calm tone in the classroom environment also contributes to the development of relationships. Students should feel comfortable sharing their learning, problems and everything from wiggly teeth to conversations about world events with their teacher.
  • The strongest indicator is a functioning classroom where learning is possible. When you walk into these classrooms, students feel safe, trusted and that their voice is heard. Time is spent positively communicating. They might be communicating about a math lesson or during their breaks socializing with friends. A positive relationship leads to more time spent learning and less on repairing conflicts occurring between peers or student- teacher. Trust and a sense that their teacher cares about them contributes to this environment. What factors influence the teacher-student relationship in the classroom?
  • Teacher mental health and personality, student mental health and personality, time spent getting to know students, teacher sharing some personal experiences or a bit about their family, pets, travels, etc., teacher creating interesting learning experiences that invite student voice, opinion, discussion, how teachers handle conflict or disruptive behaviour (does it build a safe space or deteriorate the relationship), taking time during recesses to talk one on one with students, making students feel special and heard, relationship between parents and teachers

Eighth Interviewer

  • System Literacy and Numeracy Facilitator
  • Positive student teacher relationships involve a caring teacher that treats students equitably, believes that all learners can succeed and gets to know each student’s strengths and needs to help them grow in their learning and confidence in themself. It looks like open conversation, listening and timely feedback. In rooms where this is very successful you see teachers making students feel supported by including them in lessons, choosing topics to suit individuals, guiding the learning and celebrating small successes. It looks like learning from mistakes and valuing each moment together.
  • Belief that all students can be successful.
  • Student experiences with adults in and out of school, class size, student individual needs and classroom support, interruptions, teacher excitement for student learning and building relationships, support of administration

From a Student’s Perspective

Oftentimes, educators fall victim to assuming their students’ needs before addressing them with the students. With this being said, educators view students’ needs from their own perspective, rather than the students. Educators have the responsibility to communicate with students in regards to their needs in their intellectual, social, and emotional development. This can be completed through journals, check-ins, or conversations. In this specific assessment, we asked a variety of students, “What do you wish your teacher knew or would do?” Within the video, the answers from a wide range of students are shown. Most importantly, the answers are displayed from the student’s perspective.

John Hattie and His View On Student-Teacher Relationships

“It is teachers who have created positive teacher-student relationships who are more likely to have above average effects on student achievement.” – John Hattie

Professor John Hattie is an educational researcher. Performance indicators, models of measurement, and evaluation of teaching and learning are among his research interests. With his two books Visible Learning and Visible Learning for Teachers, John Hattie gained a wider audience. Visible Learning is the result of a synthesis of over 800 meta-studies involving over 80 million students. Visible Learning, according to John Hattie, is the product of 15 years of research on what works best in schools for learning. “Possibly the world’s most influential education academic,” according to TES (Visible Learning, n.d.).

The meta study Visible Learning (2009) by John Hattie is a defining moment in educational research. It was deemed the “holy grail of teaching” by the Times Educational Supplement. Hattie’s book answers the question, “What works best for student achievement?” (Visible Learning, n.d.).

John Hattie created 10 mindframes that teachers need to adopt in order to maximize student success. Mind Frame 7: “Teachers/leaders believe that it is their role to develop positive relationships in classrooms/staff rooms” (Hattie, 2012). Teachers must establish a positive interpersonal interaction with each student, and kids must feel safe, fair, and compassionate in the classroom. “How can I instil a high level of trust in my students?” “Do my students feel comfortable expressing what they don’t know or understand?”

The teacher-student interaction has a .72 effect size on student accomplishment, according to John Hattie, author of Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. To put that into perspective an effect size of .4 and above is highly significant for student achievement. Listening skills, empathy, mutual respect, care, and positive regard for students were found to strengthen connections, according to the research (Turner et al., 2016).

It can be concluded that student-teacher relationships result in a positive classroom environment and experience. Evidence has been provided through scholarly sources and the interviews completed by individuals who are first-hand witnesses to student-teacher relationships. The information gathered demonstrates the increase of engagement, confidence, and motivation displayed by students who have a strong relationship with their teacher. Likewise, teachers are strengthening their communication and professional skills while building these relationships. In summary, student-teacher relationships foster a welcoming environment and produce success for both the student and the educator.

 Bibliography

Admin. (2017, November 20). 4 benefits of positive student-teacher relationships. Pride Surveys. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.pridesurveys.com/index.php/blog/4-beneficial-effects-of-student-teacher-rela tionships/

Bondy, E., Ross, D. D., Gallingane, C., & Hambacher, E. (2007). Creating environments of success and resilience. Urban Education, 42(4), 326–348. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085907303406

Buffet, –T. S. and J. (2019, October 31). Positive teacher-student relationships. Greater Good In Education. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://ggie.berkeley.edu/school-relationships/positive-teacher-student-relationships/#:~:t ext=For%20Teachers%3A%20According%20to%20educators%2C%20a%20positive%2 0relationship,trusting%2C%20and%20strives%20to%20keep%20the%20relationship%2 0conflict-free

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing Impact on learning. Routledge.

Positive teacher-student relationships have cascading benefits. Network for Educator Effectiveness |. (2021, July 22). Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://neeadvantage.com/blog/positive-teacher-student-relationships-have-cascading-benefits/#:~:text=When%20students%20have%20a%20positive,or%20referred%20for%20sp ecial%20education.

Tucker, K. (2021, November 5). What are the causes of a poor relationship between a student & teacher? The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from

Turner, D. M., Aljure, I., & Canevari, P. (2016, April 1). 7 powerful actions you can take to improve relationships with your students – brain based learning: Brain based experts. Brain Based Learning | Brain Based Experts. Retrieved March 2, 2022, from http://www.brainbasedlearning.net/improve-relationships-with-students/

Visible learning. VISIBLE LEARNING. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2022, from https://visible-learning.org/

6 Ways to Build Strong Teacher-Student Relationships with SEL. Social and Emotional Learning – Aperture Education. (2022). Retrieved 2 March 2022, from https://apertureed.com/5-strategies-building-relationships-students/.

Classroom Practice in 2022 Copyright © 2022 by Dr. Catherine Vanner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Why Strong Student-Teacher Relationships Are Vital

Two college instructors and a student smiling and conversating.

Dr. Jewrell Rivers is a professor of Sociology, Marriage and Family and Criminal Justice at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Traditionally, educators have focused on being more effective in the use of instructional pedagogy to improve student learning outcomes. As a result, the social and affective aspects of the classroom, including the student-teacher relationship, have been neglected by educators. Moreover, scientific studies are sparse and statistical analysis is lacking, which produces a significant gap in the research literature on student-teacher relationships.

Research on models or frameworks

Educational psychologists have begun examining the study of social relationships within educational settings and their influence on academic achievement. Of particular interest is the teacher-student relationship and how it’s a significant factor in enhancing student engagement and increasing achievement outcomes. Studies have found that the student-teacher relationship is related to high teacher expectations 1, 2 , class climate 3 and motivation 4 all of which can help facilitate higher achievement outcomes. Rubie-Davies incorporated these factors into a Social Psychology of the Classroom model as a framework for understanding the social and affective aspects of the classroom and the social-emotional component of the learning process. 5  Additionally, Tormey developed a theoretical, multidimensional model of student-teacher affective relationships in higher education based on (1) affection/warmth; (2) attachment/safety; and (3) assertion/power. 6

The significance of the teaching relationship

The teaching relationship entails a strong connection between student and teacher in which they jointly engage in the learning process. Teachers come alongside students to help them make meaningful connections to the course material through real-world experiences. Too often, instructional pedagogy has been the focus of improving student learning outcomes in the classroom. The teaching relationship emphasizes connection over content, motivation over method and process over product. To foster strong relationships, teachers must communicate effectively with their students, make meaningful connections in and out of the classroom and most of all, demonstrate genuine care in their interactions. It is important that students see their professors in diverse roles outside the classroom for further engagement in informal settings. Often, it is the informal conversations outside the classroom that build strong student-teacher relationships.

Building relationships in the classroom

As a Sociology professor, I have used a flipped classroom approach to provide more opportunities for relationship building and student/teacher and student/student interactions. To foster relationship building in the classroom, I use icebreakers , role-play simulation activities and interactive exercises. Below are some examples:

BINGO Icebreaker – an interactive gaming exercise used on the first day of class to provide students with the opportunity to discover common ground, make connections and build relationships as a learning community . Students exchange information about themselves, learn what they have in common and build relationships as they become familiar with one another.

Role-Play Simulation – a role-playing activity in which students learn to build collaboration based on resources that they bring to a community town hall meeting. As students take on designated roles and provide mutual support to address a social problem (e.g., childhood obesity), they build professional relationships that move the community toward a solution.

Mental Maps of Culture – a “warm-up” exercise designed to engage students in discussing the concept of culture. Students introduce themselves as they share their early encounters with diverse cultures. They learn about one another as they explore both their similarities and differences regarding their thoughts and feelings in encountering diverse cultural groups. Students can use their common experiences with culture to increase understanding of difference and build relationships.

Circles of Multicultural Self – a “warm-up” exercise designed to engage students in exploring how they self-define their identities and challenge stereotypes. Students are instructed to share stories in which they experienced both pride and pain when self-identifying with their racial or cultural group and their reactions to common stereotypes. Students can use their common experiences with the groups they self-identify with and dispel faulty stereotypes to increase understanding of difference and build relationships.

The big questions

In reflecting on how vital strong student-teacher relationships are, you should ask the following BIG questions:

  • How important is the student-teacher relationship? How much do you prioritize building relationships with students?
  • How does the student-teacher relationship contribute to learning outcomes?
  • How have your relationships with students influenced your teaching pedagogy or instructional practice or vise-versa?

1 “Becoming a High Expectation Teacher: Raising the Bar,” Rubie-Davies, C. M ., London: Routledge (2014).

2 “ Teacher Expectations and Beliefs: Influences on the Socioemotional Environment of the Classroom ,” Rubie-Davies, C. M. & Peterson. Educational Psychology: Concepts, Research and Challenges, London: Routledge, p. 134-149 (2011).

3 “ Can Instructional and Emotional Support in the First-grade Classroom Make a Difference for Children at Risk of School Failure? ,” Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. Child Development 76: p. 949-967 (2005).

4 “ Student Motivation in Middle School: The Role of Perceived Pedagogical Caring ,” Wentzel, K. R. Journal of Educational Psychology 89: p. 411-419 (1997).

5 “ Teaching relationships: broadening understandings through the social psychology of the classroom, ” Rubie-Davies, Christine M. Knowledge Cultures, vol. 3, no. 2  p. 155 (Mar. 2015). Gale Academic OneFile. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.

6 “Rethinking student-teacher relationships in higher education: a multidimensional approach,” Tormey, R. Higher Education, 82 (5), p. 993-1011 (2021).

Watch Dr. Rivers’ recorded webinar session “The Power of the Learning-Teaching Relationship” from the 2023 Empowered Educator Online Conference.

Related articles.

5 Methods to Foster a Sense of Student Belonging in Class

Why Strong Teacher Student Relationships Matter

  • April 29, 2019

Think about your favorite teacher from elementary school. What made them so special? Maybe they were the first person who helped math “make sense” to you, or maybe they let you borrow books from their classroom library. The wisdom and mentorship that teachers provide can be life changing, especially for younger students.

Educators often focus on improving parent engagement , but student engagement is just as essential. The more self-motivated a student is as they learn to read, the better prepared they’ll be to reach their potential. One of the best ways to encourage this is by building meaningful teacher-student relationships.

Want to learn why teacher-student relationships are so important and how to facilitate them in your school? Learn about the challenges facing teacher-student interaction, how positive relationships can improve your school environment, and five tips for promoting student engagement.

Challenges Facing Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

One of the greatest issues facing teacher-student relationships is that many children aren’t going to class. Chronic absenteeism , or missing at least 15 days per school year, is increasingly common among students and comes with worrisome results.[1] In early grades, chronic absenteeism can predict high school dropout rates later on.[2] And if a child isn’t in class, building relationships with these students can seem nearly impossible.

teacher student relationship

Children from under-resourced backgrounds are most likely to have poor relationships with their teachers.[4] The reasons for this are varied. It could be because teachers are more likely to view these students with personal biases. Or in some cases, these children might not have access to the transportation or academic support they need to succeed. Whatever the cause, educators should be mindful of these children when determining how to engage their students.

Sometimes, behavioral or learning disorders can make it hard for teachers and students to understand each other. Children with autism spectrum disorder , for example, might have communication styles that confuse their peers. Learning disorders like dyslexia or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), too, can limit a child’s attention span and frustrate their teachers. Any plans you make for how to connect with your students should include accommodations for these and other conditions.

How Positive Teacher-Student Relationships Lead to Academic Achievement

Building rapport with your students and establishing yourself as their mentor is an excellent way to combat chronic absenteeism.[5] Students are more motivated to attend classes if they know their teacher cares about them and will help them succeed. And by improving school engagement , these relationships can also improve academic achievement.

Even in elementary school, unexcused absences are linked to dropping grades, particularly in math.[6] By motivating students to work hard and miss fewer lessons, teacher-student relationships can keep struggling students from falling behind and close the achievement gap in education. It’s one of the longest-lasting ways a teacher can impact student achievement and career success.

Personal connection with your students can also raise their intrinsic motivation to learn.[7] When students feel interested in their work for the sake of mastering it, they develop a love of learning that will benefit them for their entire lives. Plus, they’re also more likely to have positive attitudes towards their teachers, classes, and lessons.[8] When students focus less on grades and more on mastery, they’re on their way toward a successful school career.

Lastly, these relationships can even tie into your social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. Positive teacher-student connections can help children develop self-regulation skills , particularly autonomy and self-determination.[9] As students learn how to evaluate and manage their behavior, they’ll be able to reach their personal and academic goals.[10] And over time, this can reduce failing grades and the need for redirection.

In short, teacher-student relationships can promote school success in the following ways:

  • Strengthens academic achievement
  • Reduces chronic absenteeism
  • Promotes self-motivation
  • Strengthens self-regulation
  • Improves goal-making skills

Other Ways Building Relationships Leads to Student Success

Beyond academic success, getting to know your students can improve classroom behavior management. Under-resourced students whose teachers work with them as a mentor are more likely to develop socially appropriate behavior.[11] When struggling students are treated as bad or unintelligent by their teachers, they’re unlikely to change. But when teachers make an effort to care about and help them, these students are more than capable of growth.

teacher guiding smiling student through lesson

A teacher’s impact on their students can last long after the end of the school year. After a student has a meaningful connection with their teacher, they’re more likely to form similar relationships in the future.[13] Because these relationships can give students the guidance and support they need to succeed, it is essential to nurture them in school. This is especially helpful for older elementary children, as strong teacher-student relationships can help ease the transition into middle school.[14]

Building positive relationships with students can help teachers, too. 25-40% of new teachers are likely to leave the education field within five years.[15] But positive relationships with students can reduce this number and show teachers how their career changes lives.[16] If you’re looking for a greater sense of fulfillment in your career, try interacting with your students and helping them with their individual struggles.

How to Improve Student Engagement with Meaningful Connection

One of the simplest and most effective student engagement strategies is getting to know your students on a personal level. Once you recognize how teacher-student relationships can revolutionize your classroom, you can prepare your entire school for lasting success.

Keep these five tips on how to build trust and connect with students to create an ideal classroom environment:

  • Remember to put your heart into your lesson plans. Try to focus just as much on getting to know and guiding your students as you do on teaching academic concepts [17]
  • At the beginning of the year or semester, discuss your and your students’ expectations as a class. You can also hold individual meetings to help struggling students reach their goals [18]
  • Studies suggest that storytelling can help build teacher-student relationships. Try telling personal anecdotes during class or making storytime a regular activity to connect with your students [19]
  • Learn how to construct positive comments by giving specific compliments (e.g. “good job” vs “your art project is so colorful”) and avoiding back-handed compliments (e.g. “you’re not as bad as you used to be”) [20]
  • Make sure you keep healthy boundaries with your students. If a student upsets or frustrates you, don’t take it personally or bring it home with you [21]

U.S. Department of Education. Chronic Absenteeism in the Nation’s Schools . Retrieved from ed.gov: https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html.[1]

Sheldon, S.B., and Epstein, J.L. Getting Students to School: Using Family and Community Involvement to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism. School Community Journal, 2004, 14(2), pp. 39-56.[2]

Varga, M. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships on the Academic Engagement of Students. Retrieved from mdsoar.org: https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/3893/VargaMeagan_paper.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.[3]

Sheldon, S.B., and Epstein, J.L. Getting Students to School: Using Family and Community Involvement to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism . School Community Journal, 2004, 14(2), pp. 39-56.[5]

Gottfried, M.A. Excused Versus Unexcused: How Student Absences in Elementary School Affect Academic Achievement . Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, December 2009, 31(4).[6]

Reis da Luz, F.S. The Relationship between Teachers and Students in the Classroom: Communicative Language Teaching Approach and Cooperative Learning Strategy to Improve Learning . Retrieved from bridgew.edu: https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=theses.[7]

Andersen, J.F., Norton, R.W., and Nussbaum, J.F. Three investigations exploring relationships between perceived teacher communication behaviors and student learning . Communication Education, 1981, 30, pp. 377-92.[8]

Varga, M. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships on the Academic Engagement of Students . Retrieved from mdsoar.org: https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/3893/VargaMeagan_paper.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.[9]

Reis da Luz, F.S. The Relationship between Teachers and Students in the Classroom: Communicative Language Teaching Approach and Cooperative Learning Strategy to Improve Learning . Retrieved from bridgew.edu: https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=theses.[10]

Hall, P.S., and Hall, N.D. Building Relationships with Challenging Children . Educational Leadership, 2003, 61(1), pp. 60-63.[11]

Varga, M. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships on the Academic Engagement of Students . Retrieved from mdsoar.org: https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/3893/VargaMeagan_paper.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.[12]

Reis da Luz, F.S. The Relationship between Teachers and Students in the Classroom: Communicative Language Teaching Approach and Cooperative Learning Strategy to Improve Learning . Retrieved from bridgew.edu: https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=theses.[14]

Sheldon, S.B., and Epstein, J.L. Building early career teacher resilience: The role of relationships . Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2013, 38(4), pp. 1-16.[15]

Pattison, P., Hale, J.R., and Gowens, P. Mind and Soul: Connecting with Students . Journal of Legal Studies Education, 2011, 28(1), pp. 39-66.[17]

Varga, M. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships on the Academic Engagement of Students . Retrieved from mdsoar.org: https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/3893/VargaMeagan_paper.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.[18]

Mello, R. Building Bridges: How Storytelling Influences Teacher/Student Relationships . Retrieved from eric.ed.gov: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED457088.pdf.[19]

Lehigh University College of Education. Positive Teacher-Student Relationship Quick Reference Guide . Retrieved from lehigh.edu: https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/wordpress.lehigh.edu/dist/5/114/files/2016/11/Teacher-Student-1iceq82.pdf.[20]

Bluestein, J. The Art of Setting Boundaries . Retrieved from educationworld.com: https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bluestein-setting-student-boundaries.shtml.[21]

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Editorial article, editorial: student-teacher relationship quality research: past, present and future.

improving the student teacher relationship essay

  • 1 Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
  • 2 Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Editorial on the Research Topic Student-teacher relationship quality research: Past, present and future

More than 20 years have passed since the publication of Pianta (2001) on the quality of the teacher-student relationship. Since then, several attempts have been made to elaborate theoretically the concept of teacher-student relationship quality and to provide empirical evidence of the impact that good teacher-student relationship quality might have on academic achievement, student psychological adjustment, and classroom climate. The teacher has been recognized as a “psychological parent” and defined as a secure base and safe heaven, following attachment theory ( Verschueren and Koomen, 2012 , 2021 ; Prino et al., 2022 ; Spilt et al., 2022 ). Several studies have shown that a relationship with the teacher characterized by affection, closeness, and respect predicts more favorable developmental outcomes and better adjustment to the classroom context in any school setting ( Roorda et al., 2011 , 2017 ; Longobardi et al., 2019 , 2021 ; Lin et al., 2022 ). However, after 20 years, we saw the need to synthesize the current literature on the topic of teacher-learner relationship quality and to promote a collection of studies that provide new insights, ideas, and reflections to advance the research field and overcome current limitations.

In this Research Topic, 16 publications were collected from different parts of the world. The Research Topic includes two literature reviews, several empirical works, some of which aim to develop and validate instruments to measure the quality of the teacher-student relationship, and others to promote new knowledge about the effects and mechanisms of action of the quality of the teacher-learner relationship on the psychological development and adjustment processes of children and adolescents. In addition, the Research Topic includes a contribution on possible intervention strategies on the quality of teacher-student relationship.

Literature review

Spilt and Koomen present a chronological review of the literature that shows how the research field of teacher-student relationship quality has evolved over the past three decades. The authors highlight five major themes that have emerged in the literature and identify current research limitations, offering important suggestions for the development of new research. In addition, Shayo et al. proposed a review of the conceptualization and measurement of trust in the home-school context.

Measurement instrument development and validation

Borremans and Spilt addressed a topic that seems important to us. The authors devoted themselves to the validation of a questionnaire for measuring attitudes, knowledge, and self-efficacy in building dyadic relationships with students: Competence Measure of Individual Teacher-Student relationships (COMMIT). In this work, the authors developed the questionnaire and examined each dimension in a sample of pre-service teachers. Whitehead et al. developed and validated a new self-report instrument to measure adolescents' perceived teacher quality: Caring Student Teacher Relinquishment Scale. The instrument was validated on a sample of Canadian youth and has two dimensions: Teacher Support and Attitude and Caring Teacher Qualities. Yadav et al. propose the development and validation of a measurement scale for the Indian context, while Bai et al. present the development and validation of a version of the Student Teacher Relationships Scale for the private college context. Indeed, the latter point out that the current measurement scales are not applicable to the private school context due to characteristics different from those of public schools. Thus, in their article, propose the validation of the Private-College Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (PCSTRS). The authors also found a positive correlation between the PCSTRS and measures of wellbeing, involvement in extracurricular activities, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and academic achievement. In addition, the authors compared students from public and private schools and found differences in PCSTRS dimensions and correlation between the constructs studied. This paper paves the way for further research.

New horizons

The paper by Vagos and Carvalhais sought to find answers to the unknowns that the COVID-19 pandemic has raised with regard to teacher relations and the quality of the teacher-student relationship. In their longitudinal study, 47 teachers and 56 students assessed the quality of the teacher-student relationship at two different time points: after 3 months of online instruction and after 3 months of face-to-face instruction. According to the authors, online instruction is perceived by students as an impersonal experience, and online instruction is associated with less conflict in the teacher-student relationship due to the absence of social cues. Despite the importance of distance learning in the dramatic moments of the pandemic, it is considered useful to encourage teachers to connect with their students and prioritize social presence. This can help in the psychological adjustment of the students.

Conflict management in the classroom is addressed in the paper by Alvarez et al. The authors point out the importance of considering teachers' emotional regulation when managing conflict in the classroom. In addition, the authors suggest that virtual reality may be a good tool for training teachers in developing appropriate strategies for managing classroom climate.

One of the issues that requires greater investigation, particularly in collectivist cultures, is the degree of agreement between students and teachers regarding their mutual relationship. In this direction is the contribution of Gregoriadis et al. , who used a dyadic analysis approach to determine the degree of agreement between teachers' and students' perceptions of their relationship with each other. The study was conducted in Greece and found that students and teachers perceive their dyadic relationship from different perspectives.

A number of papers have been presented on the effects of the quality of the teacher-student relationship on students' and teachers' psychological adjustment and the possible mechanisms involved. Among them are two studies from Italy. Longobardi et al. provided new evidence on the possible mediating role of a positive teacher-student relationship in the relationship between daytime sleepiness and prosocial behavior in kindergarten children. Relatively less is known about how TSR influence teachers' functioning. In this direction, Pedditzi et al. found that satisfaction in the teacher-student relationship may be a protective factor for bournout in elementary and secondary school teachers.

Some studies have come from cultural contexts in which the quality of the teacher-student relationship has been little studied. Duby et al. proposed qualitative work conducted in South Africa. Based on teacher connectedness theory, the authors provided evidence of the potential impact of a good teacher-student relationship on promoting wellbeing, particularly sexual and reproductive wellbeing, among a group of female adolescents and young adults. In China, Luo et al. shed light on the possible moderating role of the teacher-student relationship in the relationship between parental punishment and adolescent loneliness. Among other findings, the authors report that Chinese adolescents' loneliness is less influenced by parental punishment when they have a more positive relationship with their teachers.

Finally, another contribution from the Chinese cultural context by Bo and Chinemerem Onwubuya . The authors offer a contribution from the Chinese cultural context. They illustrate the complexity of implementing the School Discipline Law as a universal national policy. Their contribution seems innovative, and the authors' reflections can serve as a guide for future research in other cultural contexts.

Interventions

The Research Topic also addressed intervention strategies designed to promote better quality teacher-student relationships in educational contexts. Koenen et al. tested Student Teacher Interaction Coaching (STIC) with six teachers working with children with special needs. Working with children with special needs can be very complex, especially for teachers who are early in their careers. The pilot study proposed by the authors seems to suggest that STIC could be a useful intervention to improve the quality of the teacher-student relationship and increase positive emotions in the relationship.

Author contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Lin, S., Fabris, M. A., and Longobardi, C. (2022). Closeness in student–teacher relationships and students' psychological well-being: the mediating role of hope. J. Emot. Behav. Diso. 30, 44–53. doi: 10.1177/10634266211013756

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Longobardi, C., Settanni, M., Prino, L. E., Fabris, M. A., and Marengo, D. (2019). Students' psychological adjustment in normative school transitions from kindergarten to high school: Investigating the role of teacher-student relationship quality. Front. Psychol. 10, 1238. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01238

Pianta, R. C. (2001). STRS: Student-teacher Relationship Scale: Professional Manual . Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

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Roorda, D. L., Jak, S, Zee, M., Oort, F. J., and Koomen, H. M. Y. (2017). Affective teacher-student relationships and students' engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic update and test of the mediating role of engagement. School Psychol. Rev. 46, 1–23. doi: 10.17105/SPR-2017-0035.V46-3

Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M. Y., Spilt, J. L., and Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–student relationships on students' school engagement and achievement: a meta-analytic approach. Rev. Educ. Res . 81, 493–529. doi: 10.3102/0034654311421793

Spilt, J. L., Verschueren, K., Van Minderhout, M. B., and Koomen, H. M. (2022). Practitioner Review: Dyadic teacher–child relationships: comparing theories, empirical evidence and implications for practice. J. Child Psychol. Psychiat . 63, 724–733. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13573

Verschueren, K., and Koomen, H. (2021). Dependency in teacher–child relationships: Deepening our understanding of the construct. Attach. Hum. Develop. 23, 481–489. doi: 10.1080/14616734.2020.1751986

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Keywords: student-teacher relationships, editorial, psychological adjustment, school-environment relations, academic achievement

Citation: Fabris MA, Roorda D and Longobardi C (2022) Editorial: Student-teacher relationship quality research: Past, present and future. Front. Educ. 7:1049115. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.1049115

Received: 21 September 2022; Accepted: 03 October 2022; Published: 19 October 2022.

Edited and reviewed by: Ting-Chia Hsu , National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

Copyright © 2022 Fabris, Roorda and Longobardi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Claudio Longobardi, claudio.longobardi@unito.it

This article is part of the Research Topic

Student-Teacher Relationship Quality Research: Past, Present and Future

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Positive student-teacher relationships: 8 Ways to build stronger connections in the classroom

By Diana Zinveliu

improving the student teacher relationship essay

Every teacher was once a student. When remembering those years on the other side of the teacher’s desk, we know that students don’t learn when they don’t like their teachers. Positive student-teacher relationships, as Rita Pierson reminds us, it's all about building an adequate learning environment where teachers raise students’ self-esteem and apologize when needed.

Student-teacher relationships have long-lasting implications for students’ academic and social development and contribute to higher achievement levels. When teachers choose to be guides instead of critics, students show trust, are more engaged in learning, and behave better in class.

However, building positive student-teacher relationships involves more than that. It requires meeting students’ emotional needs besides the academic ones. When teachers do their part, even when things are tough or they cannot resonate with every student, it has a visible impact on students’ academic performance, but it also reduces chronic absenteeism, promotes self-motivation, strengthens self-regulation, and improves goal-making skills.

In this way, students will feel more confident to share personal information, admit to needing help in class, approach teachers to seek help in situations such as bullying, and show lower levels of conflict and higher levels of independence.

The importance of positive student-teacher relationships

We cannot underestimate the importance of positive teacher-student relationships. Research shows that having a close relationship with students impacts them positively in being more cooperative, engaged and having higher achievements in math and reading. They also demonstrate better social skills. Other benefits include:

More resilient students

In their book Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners , Pete Hall and Kristin Van Marter Souers state that teachers should promote relationships, accountability, and regulated behavior to shape a positive learning environment. Teachers play a key role in designing instruction and providing the right learning environment, considering that students learn better when interacting with others and that they should become autonomous learners with self-regulatory abilities.

Raising student achievement

Trying to compare the impact of many influences on student achievement, John Hattie reviewed over 800 meta-analysis covering approximately 80 million students His conclusion was that teachers who create positive student-teacher relationships are more likely to have students with above-average results. Hattie also underlines the student-teacher relationship variables that were among the most influential factors on student performance such as empathy, warmth, encouragement, authenticity, and respect for student backgrounds.

Modeling appropriate behavior

A negative teacher-student relationship is detrimental. This happens when we show signs of frustration, irritability, anger, making inappropriate comments, being in conflict with students, classroom management through harsh punitive control, bullying or sarcasm.

As a result, teacher behavior shows students what to consider acceptable and can trigger similar behavior from students. Therefore, teachers need to start by realizing their approach has a consequence. Teachers should start by not giving up on their students and taking action before negative behavior unfolds.

According to The Harvard Graduate School of Education , educators can learn the skills necessary to build strong relationships. These skills improve teacher-student relationships for the benefit of both parties. Besides the positive impact a good relationship has on students, it also leads to better teaching .

Eight ways to build stronger connections in the classroom

In order to understand how teachers can help create a positive relationship with their students, we need to decode the theories that explain student behavior:

  • attachment theory - close teacher-student relationships offer a secure base. Students feel safe to ask questions and make mistakes while also having the ability to compensate for insecure parent-child attachment ;
  • social cognitive theory - teachers model and regulate student behavior through positive communication skills, feedback, and encouragement;
  • self-esteem theory - focuses on students’ three main needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. If teachers offer the right environment, they become more motivated and engaged. Students need feedback to support their feelings of competence and help them become autonomous learners.

Based on these theories, teachers can understand their roles and apply in their classrooms the approach they feel is suitable for their students. Here is a list of things you can try with your students:

Get to know your students

Each student is unique. However, it is harder for teachers to have a strong positive relationship with every student. Therefore, we need to acknowledge every student and provide personalized lessons that suit their needs.

Students need to be seen. Even the little things, such as remembering their names and finding out something about their personal lives will increase their level of self-confidence, validate them among peers, and ensure a trustworthy learning climate.

Give meaningful feedback

As mentioned above, teachers should model the behavior they want to see in their students. Feedback not backed by subsequent teacher behavior has a negative effect on student behavior.

As a result, students will feel targeted and this will be detrimental to their academic and social performance. Moreover, students need to receive equal attention from their teachers. Focusing the attention only on “problematic” students will negatively impact all students since some will lack the necessary guidance and some will feel overanalyzed and unfairly criticized.

Create a positive classroom climate

A good learning environment starts with creating a positive classroom climate where students' needs are met. Whether it’s about allowing enough time to finish tasks, organizing fun activities, or providing social and emotional support, teachers are responsible for creating a safe space where students can make mistakes and evolve.

Teachers can develop a trustworthy relationship with their students to help them thrive and reach their potential. To add to the positive learning climate, teachers must create a community of learners in which students learn from and support each other.

Read more: Transforming our schools through empathy

Be respectful and sensitive

Students need to feel respected and valued. Showing consideration for their struggles will boost their self-esteem and even compensate for the attention and understanding they don’t receive at home.

This is especially important for working with teenagers. Although they are more mature and can be made accountable for their actions, they often need more attention. Teenage students are usually experiencing an emotional rollercoaster and often feel misunderstood because they are supposed to be role models for younger students without the support they need to overcome their struggles. Teachers need to show respect toward their opinions, be sensitive in managing conflicts, help them understand what their feelings are, and try to provide the silver lining so they can go on to overcome their problems.

Positive interaction

The Center for Promoting Research to Practice names active supervision, circulating, scanning, encouraging, and providing choice as the steps to ensure a positive student-teacher relationship. When interacting with students, teachers need to be in the proximity of their students, actively getting involved in their learning process, constantly offering their support, encouraging them, and offering alternatives to demonstrate learning.

Offering students a voice and choice will allow them to take agency over their learning and become autonomous learners capable of making choices that suit their needs to overcome challenges and reach goals.

Read more: Giving students a V.O.I.C.E. in your classroom

Consistency

Students need to know they can count on their teachers to be there to meet their needs. It's vital to sustain a relationship in time with difficult students showing reliability and trust in the long run. This way, students feel confident, trust their teachers and the learning environment and display less defiant behavior. Consistency is important when it comes to attention, but also feedback. Students will spot discriminatory treatment and inequity, which triggers unwanted behavior.

Effective communication

Any relationship is based on communication. Having effective communication with students means less conflict, healthy boundaries, clear expectations, and fair consequences.

Communicating clearly, regardless of the topic or the message, will have a positive result in the long run because it provides students with a socially adequate learning environment from which they can learn and apply social skills in their own relationships by re-enacting what they see in the classroom.

Involve parents

When we talk about students, we cannot overlook the important role their families play in their academic and emotional development. When possible, involving parents in building a positive relationship with students will demonstrate to students there is coherence between the education they receive at home and at school which strengthens the teacher-student-parent partnership.

Read more: How edtech strengthens parental engagement in online learning

Creating positive student-teacher relationships

Teachers will always have to manage their relationships with their students carefully. Depending on how they approach this role, they can have positive or negative student-teacher relationships. Although teachers cannot make all students like them, they have to try their best to create a positive learning climate where students feel heard, understood, appreciated and supported. This strengthens their connection, all for the benefit of student academic and emotional development.

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Methods and tools to strengthen teacher collaboration and raise student achievement

5 Tech tools every student should have

10 Ways To Improve Teacher-Student Relationship

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  • June 16, 2022

Table of Content

Improving teacher-student relationship not only has an important and long-lasting impact on the academic success of the student but also on their social development. But now, as a teacher, how do you develop a positive teacher-student relationship that encourages them to take an interest in learning?

Building a positive teacher-student relationship is really important and can be challenging as well with some difficult students. In order to make a positive, impactful relationship with the students, you need to understand them better. 

Ways to know your students better and improve teacher-student relationship

1. start by talking.

Ask them to introduce themselves. Ask them what they are expecting to learn from the course. A teacher-student relationship can also transform this into an interesting activity by creating a bulletin board where each student gets to write about their dreams and goals.

Or, trying to be more creative, you can make them make a note of their introduction, put them all in a box and then randomly ask students to read out each of the notes and introduce each other.

2. Talking to them individually

If there are any issues specific to the student, be happy to address them. This gives them a chance to ask questions about classes and homework. Always appreciate when students leave feedback as it shows that they care about their development and also about what you are teaching them.

So, if possible, letting your students know that you care about them and are invested in their success is priceless.

Suggested – Tips for Teachers To Improve Communication Skills

3. Take out time to understand your students

Make time for your students. Even if you teach at a high school or university level, you still want to keep an ear to hear what they are saying. In this way, you’ll be able to support them and give them the tools to succeed. And don’t underestimate the power of meeting with them one-on-one; in doing so, you’ll create a great teacher-student relationship .

When deciding whether or not to meet with your students, think about when you feel like you can best provide them value. Meetings with students should never replace teachers having face time with all students.

4. Surveys 

In the current world, there are many ways in which you can get information about your learners. A survey is a tool many teachers use to help them understand their students better. You can also use it to measure student progress throughout the year.

It allows you to find where your students need improvement, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. A survey will help you to gather information about your students and give you feedback about how and what the students are grasping. This way, you can plan your teaching strategies.

5. Connecting with parents

Connecting and meeting the parents of your students gives you a space to discuss the roles and responsibilities that each of you shares. These meetings allow you to learn a lot about your students. One of them is that it gives you an insight into what kind of person your student is, and you learn about their strengths and weaknesses as well.

This helps in knowing how to reach out to them in a better way and help them achieve success both academically and socially. This creates a better  teacher-student relationship.

6. Writing assignments 

Writing assignments is an excellent way to know your students better. Your students can tell you about their lives through essays, short stories, poems, etc. You get to know them as human beings, not just as students. There are many benefits of writing assignments, like they make clear understanding of concepts easier, improve concentration skills, increase vocabulary, and more.

7. Inventories

Inventories are useful tools that help you determine where your students stand in terms of their knowledge. They help you to understand where your learners are now compared to where they were before they came into the class. This provides you with invaluable insight as to whether your approach to instruction has worked or not.

You can use inventories to examine how much your students have learned and whether they remember anything from previous classes. An inventory helps you to see where your students lack certain skills and abilities and where they excel.

This way, you can plan different methods and approaches to help your students improve their weaknesses and add more to their strengths. Helping students in building their strengths can improve  teacher-student relationship.

8. Eating together

The best way to strengthen any relationship is by eating together. You should try having lunch with them each week, but if you’re not sure what they like, consider putting an activity sheet in your class binder.

This way, when you get back from lunch with your students, you’ll have a list of activities they enjoyed that you can share with your other classes. Students love to collaborate, and you can make sure everyone gets plenty of chances to speak up during team projects. 

9. Fun activities for students

Get to know your students, understand what motivates them, and connect with them emotionally. Some fun activities that might help you do this include games, icebreakers, and community-building exercises.

All of these activities help create an environment where everyone feels more comfortable and relaxed. Knowing this information helps you become a stronger teacher and build a positive teacher-student relationship.

10. Share personal items 

Invite students to share simple personal items that help show their interests. These might be posted on a “class” page on a website or could be included in a class scrapbook or gallery. An image of a dream vacation, a video of a special event, or a snapshot of a school project.

Even an empty text file could be filled with words and phrases that help define self. You will learn lots of great information that will give you ways to customize your further lesson planning to individual students’ strengths.

The final word

These are some of the many different techniques and tips that can help you to know your students better on a personal level and make a great teacher-student relationship . There might be a lot more techniques other than these that you know. 

If you have a passion for teaching and want to make a good and direct connection with your students , then Classplus is here to help you. Get your own personalized app and reach out to a larger number of students across the country. To know more, connect with us and talk to our experts now!

Ways to improve teacher-student relationship FAQs

A1. To engage with students more effectively, you can easily have individual discussions with them or have lunch with them.

A2. The most important thing to maintaining a good relationship is active engagement. If you actively engage in any activity together, it helps you understand your students better.

A3. The factor that affects teacher-student relationships is Sympathy toward students, extensive knowledge of the professor, and many other factors that affect the relationship.

A4. It is important to understand students in order to deal with them and adopt different teaching approaches to help their students.

A5. To build positive relationships with students, you need to spend one-on-one time with them, share stories, show interest, have some sense of humor, etc.

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  2. (PDF) Teacher-Student Relationships (Wing Institute Original Paper)

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  3. ⇉Relation Between Teacher and Student Essay Example

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  4. The Importance of Building the Teacher-Student Relationship

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  5. Ways to Improve Student-Teacher Relationships

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  6. The Homework in the Student-Teacher Relationship Free Essay Example

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COMMENTS

  1. Teacher-Student Relationships Matter

    That means educators can learn the skills behind secure relationship-building — and they can teach them. This gives educators the opportunity to, within their daily interactions, strengthen the ways their students relate to others throughout life. 2. Embrace the power of empathic listening.

  2. Teacher And Student Relationship (Essay Sample)

    Teachers need to be lenient at the same time be strict, any excess of any of the two might hinder students from learning effectively. The effective teacher-student relationship evolves and needs time, teacher act as mothers for students during their early years in school. They guide them and encourage them to be positive about life.

  3. Why Teacher-Student Relationships Matter

    A Review of Educational Research analysis of 46 studies found that strong teacher-student relationships were associated in both the short- and long-term with improvements on practically every ...

  4. Improving students' relationships with teachers

    Improving teacher-student relationships is only the first step toward meeting students' emotional and relational needs. A teacher should also work on producing a caring community of learners. Such efforts improve the nature of interactions among students and promote students' engagement in school (Hamre & Pianta, 2005; McCombs, 2004; Meece et ...

  5. Essay on Relationship Between Teacher and Student

    The Impact of this Relationship. The relationship between a teacher and a student can significantly impact the student's academic success and personal development. A positive relationship can boost the student's self-esteem, motivation, and engagement in the learning process. Conversely, a negative relationship can hinder a student's ...

  6. The Importance of Student-Teacher Relationships

    Student-teacher relationships are important in the short term because it creates a thriving classroom environment, helps students develop self worth and improves student mental health (Buffet, 2019). In the same manner, these positive relationships may decrease behavioral problems and promote academic success.

  7. Full article: Teacher-Student Relationship Quality and Student

    Teacher-student relationship quality. Teachers who show students respect, fairness, kindness, compassion, patience, understanding, commitment and trustworthiness, and who establish and maintain caring, warm, and supportive teacher-student relationships, manifest significant ethical principles and virtues that are built into the professional ethics of teaching (Campbell Citation 2003).

  8. PDF Teacher-Student Relationships: The Impact on High School Students

    121. Journal of Education and Practice ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) DOI: 10.7176/JEP. www.iiste.org. Vol.10, No.14, 2019. and students. High school students are expected to respect school rules and regulations. However, when students disobey school rules, teachers will intervene to ensure the students are bought to book. 3.

  9. Why Strong Student-Teacher Relationships Are Vital

    The significance of the teaching relationship. The teaching relationship entails a strong connection between student and teacher in which they jointly engage in the learning process. Teachers come alongside students to help them make meaningful connections to the course material through real-world experiences.

  10. Why Strong Teacher Student Relationships Matter

    Students are more motivated to attend classes if they know their teacher cares about them and will help them succeed. And by improving school engagement, these relationships can also improve academic achievement. Even in elementary school, unexcused absences are linked to dropping grades, particularly in math. [6]

  11. How Positive Student-Teacher Relationships Impact Academic Success

    T he relationship between students and teachers plays a crucial role in academic success. Positive and supportive connections between students and teachers can have a powerful impact on learning ...

  12. Frontiers

    theoretically the concept of teacher-student relationship quality and to provide empirical evidence of the impact that good teacher-student relationship quality might have on academic achievement, student psychological adjustment, and classroom climate. The teacher has been recognized as a "psychological parent" and defined as a secure base and safe heaven, following attachment theory (Prino ...

  13. Positive student-teacher relationships benefit students' long-term

    WASHINGTON — Teens who have good, supportive relationships with their teachers enjoy better health as adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Perhaps surprisingly, although friendships are important to adolescents, the study did not find the same link between good peer relationships and students ...

  14. Positive student-teacher relationships: 8 Ways to build stronger

    According to The Harvard Graduate School of Education, educators can learn the skills necessary to build strong relationships. These skills improve teacher-student relationships for the benefit of both parties. Besides the positive impact a good relationship has on students, it also leads to better teaching.

  15. Improving Student-Teacher Relationships to Achieve Student ...

    Positive classroom climate and teacher interactions have a profound influence on student achievement and motivation (Wery, Thompson, 2013). Teachers who communicate positive messages to students about their abilities can foster an increase in students' self-efficacy (Raufelder, Scherber, Wood, 2016). Subtopic/Theme One.

  16. The Impact of Teacher-Student Relationship, Essay Example

    A strengthened or motivated teacher-student relationship is the most desired component in the process of learning. Such a relationship, especially in the case of learning the second language, influences the process of learning. It is notable that students and the teacher have some different point of views and even agendas when it comes to their ...

  17. Bridging the Gap: Improving Relationships Between Students and Teachers

    The foundation of a successful educational experience is built upon strong student-teacher relationships. However, forming and maintaining these vital connections can be challenging due to various barriers that may arise in the classroom. Students and teachers could encounter challenges in communication, collaboration, and understanding.

  18. Improving Students' Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential

    Description. Students who have close, positive and supportive relationships with their educators will attain higher levels of achievement than those students with more conflict in such relationships. This module delves into how to foster trust with students for developing progressive relationships to support high quality academic instruction.

  19. Teacher and Student Relationship Essay

    1833 Words. 8 Pages. Open Document. Teachers and their students have a special relationship; what they do affects each other. Teachers and students can't survive without one another since there would be no teacher without any student. Based on this special relationship, a certain expectation has been developed in the classroom environment.

  20. Improving Student-Teacher Relationships

    Quite simply, people take one another for granted and can ignore good behaviours. Tips: 3. Restoring the relationship following episodes of teacher-student conflict. The aim of this phase is to intentionally repair any harm to the relationship once there has been a negative interaction between the teacher and student.

  21. Relationship Between Teacher And Student Free Essay Example

    Views. 4120. It takes more than knowing the content to be a good teacher. One of the most important aspects of teaching is building relationships with your students. Teacher-child relationships influence how a child develops. The relationship can relate to a wide range of school adjustment outcomes, including liking school, work habits, social ...

  22. 10 Ways To Improve Teacher-Student Relationship

    This creates a better teacher-student relationship. 6. Writing assignments. Writing assignments is an excellent way to know your students better. Your students can tell you about their lives through essays, short stories, poems, etc. You get to know them as human beings, not just as students.

  23. Student Teacher Relationship Essay

    2. Student-teacher relationships-To improve my student-teacher relationship the first thing I will do is get to know my students. I need to find out what they like and dislike, and become approachable. This will help me and the student in the long run because we will have some goodwill built with each other, and they may be able to come to me ...

  24. AI Can Be Used to Help Catch Students Using AI, but Its Use ...

    Tim Dickey, senior consultant at the IT services and consulting company Improving, offers his analysis of new reports that teachers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to grade essays. What are the risks and the benefits?