During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first 10 years here.

Today’s theme is Relationships in Schools.

You can see the list following this excerpt from one of the posts:

1. Want Great Life Lessons? Pay Attention to Students

Being more aware of privilege, talking less, and taking time to make judgments are a few lessons students have taught teachers. Read more.

2. A Lesson From Students: Believe Success Is Possible for Every Learner

Believe in the potential greatness of every student and don’t make assumptions are two takeaways teachers have learned from their students. Read more.

3. What Important Lessons Have You Learned From Your Students?

Ask for feedback and act on it. Drop the words “try harder.” Watch your explanations. Those are just a few lessons teachers have learned. Read more.

4. Who’s the Teacher? 14 Lessons Students Taught Their Teachers

Resilience and the importance of being observant are among the many lessons students have passed on to educators over the years. Read more.

5. Laughter in the Classroom

Teachers describe some of the funniest moments in their classrooms over the years and, in some instances, how those moments improved classroom relationships. Read more.

6. ‘You Can’t Get to Bloom Without Going Through Maslow’

This eight-part series on teacher/student relationships is wrapped up today by Tara Brown, Donna Wilson, Marcus Conyers, Jennifer Cleary, Stuart Ablon, Alisha Pollastri, Eileen Depka, and Richard Gerver. I’ve also included responses from readers. Read more.

7. ‘Don’t Just Teach the Curriculum, Teach the Students’

In this series’ next-to-last post, Julia Thompson, Mara Lee Grayson, Kris Felicello, Jennifer Lasater, Kristina DeMoss, Cindy Terebush, and Tamara Fyke write their responses to the question of how teachers can strengthen relationships with students. Read more.

8. Relationships Matter in the Classroom

Sanée Bell, Martha Caldwell, Oman Frame, Sarah Kirby-Gonzalez, Sarah Thomas, Debbie Zacarian, Judie Haynes, Madeline Whitaker Good, Barbara R. Blackburn, and Akira M. LeBlanc talk about teacher/student relationships. Read more.

9. Building Student Relationships by Applying ‘the Golden Rule’

Jana Echevarria, Beth Gotcher, Joe Mullikin, Denise Fawcett Facey, Rachelle Dene Poth, Chris Hull, Douglas Reeves, and Melissa Jackson share their thoughts on teachers’ strengthening relationships with students. Read more.

10. Be ‘Real’ & ‘Consistent’ to Build Positive Student Relationships

Lisa Westman, Kevin Parr, Cynthia “Mama J” Johnson, Ryan Huels, Catherine Beck, Sheila M. Wilson, Ed.D., and Steve Constantino provide commentaries on the topic of teachers’ positive relationships with students. Read more.

More Q&A posts about relationships in schools:

• We Must ‘Notice the Uniqueness in Each Student’
• ‘Building Relationships With Students Is the Most Important Thing a Teacher Can Do’
• Why It’s Important to Build Positive Relationships With Students
• Manage Classrooms Through ‘Positive Relationships’
• ‘Care Is the Catalyst for Learning’
• ‘There’s Nothing More Innovative Than Care’
• Many Ways to Help Our Students Grieve
• Great Teachers Focus on Connections & Relationships
• A Teacher-Counselor Partnership Is ‘Essential’ for Student Success
• Ways to Develop a Teacher-School-Counselor Partnership
• Several Ways Teachers Can Create a Supportive Environment for Each Other
• Can Teachers Be Friends With Students Using Social Media?
• Part Two—Can Teachers Be Friends With Students?
• Can Teachers Be Friends With Students?—Part One

Explore other thematic posts:

• It Was Another Busy School Year. What Resonated for You?
• How to Best Address Race and Racism in the Classroom
• Schools Just Let Out, But What Are the Best Ways to Begin the Coming Year?
• Classroom Management Starts With Student Engagement
• Teacher Takeaways From the Pandemic: What’s Worked? What Hasn’t?
• The School Year Has Ended. What Are Some Lessons to Close Out Next Year?
• Student Motivation and Social-Emotional Learning Present Challenges. Here’s How to Help
• How to Challenge Normative Gender Culture to Support All Students
• What Students Like (and Don’t Like) About School
• Technology Is the Tool, Not the Teacher
• How to Make Parent Engagement Meaningful
• Teaching Social Studies Isn’t for the Faint of Heart
• Differentiated Instruction Doesn’t Need to Be a Heavy Lift
• How to Help Students Embrace Reading. Educators Weigh In
• 10 Strategies for Reaching English-Learners
• 10 Ways to Include Teachers in Important Policy Decisions
• 10 Teacher-Proofed Strategies for Improving Math Instruction
• Give Students a Role in Their Education
• Are There Better Ways Than Standardized Tests to Assess Students? Educators Think So
• How to Meet the Challenges of Teaching Science
• If I’d Only Known. Veteran Teachers Offer Advice for Beginners
• Writing Well Means Rewriting, Rewriting, Rewriting
• Christopher Emdin, Gholdy Muhammad, and More Education Authors Offer Insights to the Field
• How to Build Inclusive Classrooms
• What Science Can Teach Us About Learning
• The Best Ways for Administrators to Demonstrate Leadership
• Listen Up: Give Teachers a Voice in What Happens in Their Schools