Teacher-Student Relationships

This volume explores the complexity of teacher-student relationships in secondary school settings and discusses how these largely unscripted relationships function for students and teachers in their learning and socioemotional development. For teachers, the relationships provide a foundation for pedagogical and curricular endeavors and lead to their increased investment in students' growth, development, and academic success. Students who have such relationships feel more comfortable in their learning environments, interested in the material, and motivated to perform well. We discuss what these relationships look like from the perspectives of teacher and student. Teachers are often at a loss when attempting to draw appropriate boundaries in close relationships, and schools can and should help to provide guidelines, guidance, and even support for teachers willing to support students individually. We suggest formats for supporting teachers and look at a model for a whole school approach to working on students' emotional challenges. We also provide a perspective from the world of after-school programs on how relationships with afterschool employees can be additional opportunities for mentorship and community. We hope that this volume will inspire discussion in educational settings and will be used by schools that have embarked on or will embark on a journey of socioemotional development for their students and teachers in order to support students' learning and success. The voices of teachers and students in this volume show how much young people want to feel known and engage with teachers and how much teachers feel rewarded and invigorated by taking the step to connect with students on this level.