A number of students feel that their teachers do not care about their education and comfort in a classroom, leading them to not work as hard in school in general. If a teacher puts in the effort to connect and build a relationship with a student, the student will experience a better learning environment. When the student enjoys interacting with the teacher, they will enjoy the content and look forward to visiting that class each day, which could improve attendance.

With a proficient workspace where students and teachers work together, students will value learning time and improve their knowledge; this further improves their performance on tests and projects. Students tend to feel self-accomplished after receiving higher grades, which acts as a morale booster.

“Having a teacher I know I can talk to really does make the class feel a lot safer and more comfortable. I think this is because certain teachers actually make an effort to get to know their students and this really goes a long way. For example one of my favorite teachers is the type of teacher to listen to her students and actually take an interest in their lives,” sophomore Laila Sain said.

Student-teacher relationships also correlate with making engaging content students will actually want to learn. Teachers that actively try to connect with students will realize that they actually feel heard and understood with their efforts. Students tend to show more respect towards the teacher if the teacher also respects them. This can lead to improved behavior from the students toward staff.

When students obtain a poor relationship with their teacher, they frequently resent that class and tend to perform worse on assignments. Simple acts of kindness and respect between peers and teachers could completely change the environment for them in a positive light. Teachers that understand the purpose of school often create a safer place for students. When teachers offer second chances and understand students make mistakes, students feel as though they can truly learn something. Their past experiences stand to help them become excited about learning.

“When I like a teacher I’m more inclined to actually pay attention to what they have to say to me. I have like three teachers who are amazing to talk to about literally anything going on and they actually help me out and it makes me feel a lot better about going to school because at least then I know there are people that care,” junior Jiselle Harris said.

Not all students feel comfortable talking to teachers, but they should always feel like they can if they need to. As part of a teacher’s job, it remains important for students to recognize a trustworthy teacher in the school they can reach out to at any time. If students feel uncomfortable communicating with staff or higher authority, they can talk to the teacher they feel comfortable with, and discuss difficult situations. This could prevent harmful situations before they occur.

“I know I can always come to certain teachers mostly because they’ve listened in the past and I know they’ll listen in the future. I’ve told one teacher everything. She knew and still knows everything that’s worth talking about regarding my life. I also feel like if anything serious happened and I needed to go tell an adult, already having these connections with my teachers would make it so much easier,” Sain said.

  Rather than just providing the right answer, these teachers can offer guidance to students in need. Students will also feel comfortable offering their teacher feedback on how to make the classroom efficient and what will work for specific students. Although a plethora of people might say students should always respect their teachers and they only attend school to learn, they should receive the same level of respect. These young minds need guidance that a selection of teachers struggles to provide. Positive relationships become vital for a working and safe experience inside the school, translating to better student success that teachers and parents will appreciate.