Teacher Student Relationship Teaching Resources
Build a positive teacher student relationship this school year with teaching resources created by teachers to help you communicate effectively with your students and ensure they feel safe and comfortable communicating with you.
From printable forms that allow students to share their learning preferences with you to printable gift tags to celebrate student birthdays, this collection of teacher-created resources is packed with resources and ideas from our team of expert elementary and middle school teachers.
Are you looking for fresh ideas and tips on how to build a positive teacher-student relationship? Read on for some advice from the experienced teachers of the Teach Starter team!
What Is a Teacher-Student Relationship and Why Does It Matter?
We realize the name may say it all here, but let's probe a little deeper. Yes, this term refers to the refers to the dynamic and interaction between a teacher and a student.
But it's so much more than that! The relationship between you and each child is made up of the communication, mutual understanding and the connections that have been established between the two parties. This relationship plays a crucial role in the learning process for your students and has a significant impact on everything from their academic performance to their engagement with your instruction to their overall well-being.
You've probably noticed this section of Teach Starter's vast collection of teaching resources falls under classroom management.
That's because a teacher-student relationship really sits at the heart of your classroom management planning. If you can't create a rapport with your students, the rest of it likely falls apart.
On the other hand, a teacher-student relationship that has been built up to ensure your students feel valued and heard in the classroom, as well as safe, can go a long, long way toward making the year a positive one for you both!
Just like any two people who spend time together, a teacher and a student need more than a shared amount of time and space to be successful. Here are just a few of the ways a solid teacher-student relationship will help you and your students:
- Increased student motivation — A student who feels cared for by a teacher and likes that teacher is more compelled to engage in class activities and individual work.
- Fewer absences — When students have a positive relationship with a teacher, studies show they are also more likely to attend school.
- Improved student trajectories — Connecting with your students now has been shown to positively impact both their current and future academic achievement, even years after leaving your classroom. It really does just take that one teacher to make a difference.
- Better teaching — It’s true! Studies show that teachers who have good relationships with their classes engage in more high-impact teaching practices.
So how do you make this happen? And what do you do if you hit a rocky patch with a student? Read on for tips on building and improving student relationships!
How to Build a Relationship With Your Students
The relationship between you and your students starts on the very first day of school when they walk into your classroom, and like most relationships we have in life, it takes work!
Here are some important things to remember:
- Respect must go both ways. Simply saying please and thank you, for example, shows you respect them as humans.
- Apologize when you make mistakes. It's a great way to role model the behavior.
- Don't be afraid to have a little fun when it's appropriate. You are not their friend, but you are human!
- Show an interest in your students' personal lives. Ask about their pets, their sports games or even that video game fascination.
- Ask how their day is going or how their weekend went.
- LISTEN!
- Remember that children who misbehave are not (usually) doing it simply to make you angry. Look for the root cause, and seek help if you need it. Students will often struggle academically when they have unmet basic needs.
- Incorporate social emotional development into your instruction. This will help your students build their own relationship skills.
- Be consistent.
- Don't play favorites. You may have a favorite student on the inside, but students should never be able to tell.
- Differentiate instruction. It's something you should be doing anyway, but it is also part of showing students they are supported in your classroom.
- Find what's special about a student, and build on it.
- Institute a morning meeting to build a class community.
Even your classroom bulletin boards can play a role in building a positive relationship with your students.
How to Improve the Teacher Student Relationship
OK, but what if you're past that initial phase, and you and a particular child are not working well together? It happens. Sometimes you need a little help to get things back on track.
- Take time to reflect. We're certainly not saying it's all your fault, but it's important to sit back and reflect on what the relationship has been like so far to see if there are any ways you can improve how you approach the student.
- Seek the feedback of other members of the staff. Is there a social worker on staff who the child has seen? Do you have a co-teacher, or might the child's last teacher offer some advice? An outsider may give you a fresh perspective.
- Learn more about them, and use it. You may find connection in the most unlikely places, such as a mutual love of pandas. Or you may find out that they are particularly talented at something that you can then foster.
- Talk to the child's caregivers. Having a collaborative relationship with parents or guardians can help you identify where you might be able to improve the one you have with a student.
- Use positive reinforcement. When a child has only heard negative things out of a teacher's mouth — even if they were warranted — a fresh and positive approach can help reframe the relationship as well as their own feelings about themselves.
- Free Plan
I Wish My Teacher Knew Activity Sheet
Add an ‘I Wish My Teacher Knew’ activity to your first-day plans to learn more about your new students.
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Morning Greetings Display
Greet each student at the door in style with this set of 4 greetings posters.
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All About Me Bag Ideas & Tag Template
Get to know your students a bit better by having them create ‘All About Me’ Bags!
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Student Interest Survey Pack
Use a Student Interest Survey to get to know your new students at the beginning of the school year.
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Mini Classroom Mailbox Template
Use this mini classroom mailbox template in a variety of ways.
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Emotional Awareness Face Template
Teach your students emotional awareness with this customizable face template perfect for lessons focused on social-emotional learning.
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Anti-Bullying Coloring Sheets
Discourage bullying and promote kindness in the classroom with a set of printable Anti-Bullying Coloring Sheets.
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Our Class is a Family Activity Flipbook
Start building a classroom community from day one with a printable ‘Our Class is a Family’ flipbook.
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A Letter to My Teacher Activity Sheets
Get to know your students a bit better using a ‘Letter to Teacher’ template.
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When You Enter This Classroom - Door Decor Display
Welcome your students into your classroom with ‘When You Enter This Classroom” Door Decor.
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Meet The Teacher - Student Gift Tags
Give your students a back-to-school gift tagged with one of these fun student gift tags!
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Back to School - Family Survey
Promote parent involvement and get to know your students better with a beginning-of-the-year parent survey template.
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Ready Confetti - Student Gift Bag Tags
Calm your students' first-day jitters with bags of Back-to-School Ready Confetti topped with fun First Day of School poems.
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All About Me Activity - Library of Learning Book Stack Craft
Get to know your students by building a library of “About Me” book stacks with a unique All About Me activity
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Testing Gift Tags
Give a confidence boost to your students before heading into a test or exam with these testing gift tags.
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10 Reasons Why - End of Year Letter to Students
Strengthen connections and send your students off on summer vacation with an encouraging end-of-year letter to students.
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Emotional Self-Regulation Check-In Posters
Promote emotional awareness and self-regulation in your classroom with this daily mood check-in routine.
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Positive Self-Talk Brag Bracelets
Encourage a positive mindset with a fun set of printable positive self-talk bracelets.
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Positive Notes for Students – Printable Templates and Tracker
Strengthen connections and celebrate achievements with this set of positive note templates.
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Student Daily Check-In Template
Check-in with your students each day with this template.
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Brag Tags
Provide positive reinforcement for good behavior and achievements with printable Brag Tags!
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Growth Mindset Brag Tags
Celebrate students using a growth mindset with a set of printable growth mindset brag tags!
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Emotional Self-Regulation – Student Emotion Mood Meter
Allow your students to communicate how they are feeling using a non-verbal, desk-sized mood meter.
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Back to School Student Survey - Primary Grades
Get to know your new students with an all about me survey.
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Back-to-School Self-Assessment Template
Get to know your students on the first day and learn their thoughts on school with a printable self assessment.
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Back-to-School - New Student Flip Book Template
Be prepared for a new student any time of year with an editable New Student flip book template.
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Brag Bracelets - Behavior Incentives
Encourage positive behavior and reward your students for their achievements with a fun set of printable brag bracelets.
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From the Desk of....Personalized Notepads for Teachers
Personalize your own memo pads or teacher notepads with our printable stationery for teachers!
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Editable Meet The Teacher Template
Use these back-to-school templates to create a letter for your new students and their families introducing yourself.
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End of the Year Gift Tags – S'mores Themed
Make the end of the school year “sweet” with these s’mores themed gift tags.
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Non-Contact Morning Greetings Posters
Non-contact greetings that students can do with their teachers and peers.
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Four Squares of Learning - A Getting to Know You Worksheet
Learn your students' expectations for the new school year with this first week of school activity.