Teacher-student relationships: a growing field of study.

A substantial percentage of students come to school with a number of stress factors from life circumstances, personal clinical attributes, and typical adolescent challenges. As a result, some students become disengaged from school, are unsuccessful, or drop out of school. School structures are not always equipped to respond to such problems. A mounting collection of research has begun to document the importance of teacher-student relationships in academic success and socioemotional development. Much of this research reveals that relationships between teachers and students can make a vital difference in student success.