5 Student – Teacher Relationships Bridget

A sizable literature provides evidence that strong and supportive relationships between teachers and students are fundamental to the healthy development of all students in schools (e.g., see Birch & Ladd, 1998; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Pianta, 1999). Positive student–teacher relationships serve as a resource for students at risk of school failure, whereas conflict or disconnection between students and adults may compound that risk (Ladd & Burgess, 2001). Although the nature of these relationships changes as students mature, the need for connection between students and adults in the school setting remains strong from preschool to 12th grade (Crosnoe, Johnson, & Elder, 2004). Furthermore, even as schools place increasing attention on accountability and standardized testing, the social quality of student-teacher relationships contributes to both academic and social–emotional development (e.g., Gregory & Weinstein, 2004; Hamre & Pianta, 2001). As such, student– teacher relationships provide a unique entry point for educators and others working to improve the social and learning environments of schools and classrooms. These relationships may be a direct focus of intervention or may be viewed as one important feature of successful implementation of many of the other interventions described in this volume. As children enter formal school settings, either in preschool or kindergarten, relationships with teachers provide the foundation for successful adaptation to the social and academic environment. From the first day of school, young children must rely on teachers to provide them with the understanding and support that will allow them to get the most out of their daily interactions in the classroom. Children who form close relationships with teachers enjoy school more and get along better with peers. Positive relationships with teachers can also serve as a secure base for young children; they are better able to play and work on their own because they know that if things get difficult or if they are upset, they can count on their teacher to recognize and respond to these problems. Relationships with teachers may be particularly important for children who display early academic or behavior problems. In one study examining children at academic risk, a group of children were designated as at risk for referral for special education or retention on the basis of low kindergarten screening scores. Those who ultimately did get retained or referred between kindergarten and second grade were compared with those who, despite being high risk, were promoted or not referred (Pianta, Steinberg, & Rollins, 1995). The children who, despite predictions of retention or referral, were ultimately promoted or not referred had far more positive relationships with their teachers than their high-risk peers who were retained or referred. Similarly, highly aggressive thirdand fourth-graders who are able to form supportive relationships with teachers are more likely than other aggressive students to be well liked by peers (Hughes, Cavell, & Willson, 2001). Positive relationships with teachers may even help those behaviorally at-risk students learn more adaptive behavior, as evidenced in one recent study among a group of aggressive African American and Hispanic students in which supportive student–teacher relationships were associated with declines in aggressive behavior between second and third grade (Meehan, Hughes, & Cavell, 2003). The need for positive relationships with teachers does not diminish as children mature. Support in teacher–student relationships may be particularly salient at transition points, such as the transition from elementary to middle school (Wentzel, 1998). Middle school teachers who convey emotional warmth and acceptance as well as make themselves available regularly for personal communication with students foster the positive relational processes characteristic of support. These supportive relationships help maintain students’ interests in academic and social pursuits, which in turn lead to better grades and more positive peer relationships. Although teachers are not the only source of support for middle school students, the support students receive from their parents, peers, and teachers seemed to have additive, thus fairly independent, effects. Thus, teacher