Chapter 11 page 237
DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPSThe third component of classroom management is developing effective interpersonal relationships.
The different types of relationships that exist within a classroom setting can have a direct impact on a
teacher’s ability to develop an environment conducive to learning (Pianta, 2006; Newman, 2000). The three
key relationships are (1) teacher-student relationships, (2) student-student relationships, and (3) teacher-
parent relationships. We will discuss each of these below.
Teacher-Student Relationships
Students who perceive their teachers to be caring are more likely to cooperate, adhere to classroom
rules and routines, and engage in academic activities (Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Osterman, 2000; Wentzel,
1997, 1999). Students want teachers to care about them. But what does it mean for teachers to care about
students?
Students can identify specific teacher behaviors that they believe demonstrate that teachers care
about them (Cothran & Ennis, 2000; Cothran, Kulinna & Garrahy, 2003; Osterman, 2000; Wentzel,
1997). Two general types of caring are academic caring and personal caring. Academic caring refers to
acts of caring that help students learn, such as helping students with homework, taking extra time to
explain an idea to a class, and meeting with students after school to give extra help. Personal caring refers
to showing an interest in students’ lives out of the classroom, as by asking students about their families and
attending extracurricular events. Personal caring can play an important role in promoting academic
engagement. In a study of urban high school students, students were more likely to engage in academic
activities when they felt that their teacher showed an interest in their personal lives (Cothran & Ennis,
2000).
Figure 11.3 lists some general teacher strategies that teachers can use to demonstrate that they care
about their students. Some of these strategies can be implemented during class time, such as making sure
that students understand material during lessons. But other strategies require teachers to invest time outside
of class—talking with students, going to school events, giving students careful feedback on written work,
and so on. It is difficult for teachers to provide sufficient academic and personal caring if they do not make
time to meet students or attend events before or after school or during their lunch periods.
Student-Student Relationships
Relationships among the students in a classroom have a strong impact on classroom management.
The better students get along with one another, the fewer problems will arise. Classroom management
programs that focus on promoting positive student relationships have recently gained in popularity (Felner,
Favazza, Shim & Brand, 2001; Battistich, Watson, Solomon, Lewis & Schaps, 1999). The goal in these
programs is to promote a sense of community. As we discussed in Chapter 10, community refers to a
group of people who share goals and who enjoy spending time together as they work collectively to achieve
these goals. Community is the foundation of classroom management and caring relationships, including
positive student-student relationships, are the foundation of community.
The key to developing positive interpersonal relationships among students is to provide students
with opportunities to form connections with their classmates. If students feel personal connections with
each other, they are less likely to engage in bullying and other disruptive behaviors. This does not mean that
all students in the class need to be close friends; this would be an unrealistic goal. Rather, the goal is to
develop a caring and respectful classroom environment in which students respect each other and in which
academic and social emotional learning can take place as a result.