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becoming active, creative, competent, and responsible individuals and citizens, thus
being a part of their identity formation. According to the school law, such character
formation should be done in cooperation with the students’ homes.

Relationships and Communication
To be able to build authentic relationships, teachers need to express their interest
in the students by asking them genuine questions connected to things they like
and dislike. Relationships and trust are not only built in the classroom but are also
established in corridors, in the schoolyard, and through communication channels
such as emails and digital platforms. Conducting small, informal conversations and
greeting students with a smile in the corridors are ways to develop good relationships
with them. For example, asking a student about the football game last weekend or
mentioning having read about the latest release by a certain artist to a student will
show that one is genuinely interested in that student and his or her everyday life.
Apart from meeting the students’ expectations on high-
quality teaching, activities outside of ordinary classes can
also help build relationships and provide good opportunities
for teachers to learn more about their students. Arranging The best teachers
a movie night at school, going on a field trip, or simply genuinely care about their
doing fun outdoor activities are examples of time well
invested that will strengthen the relationship between students and connect with
teacher and student and will have a positive impact on
students’ learning. The best teachers genuinely care about them empathetically.
their students and connect with them empathetically. Hirsh
and Segolsson (2021) wrote:
What the students describe most frequently
throughout the interviews is the importance of a caring and trustworthy
relationship between teachers and students. The best teachers try to get
to know their students and build relationships with them both inside and
outside the classroom. This, in turn, creates a classroom environment where
the students feel safe and comfortable to show when they do not understand
and where they dare to ask questions. Another aspect often referred to as
contributing to the feeling of a safe classroom is that teachers are forgiving:
the best teachers never give up on their students and there is always a second
chance. They do not compromise on order, rules, and clarity; rather, such
aspects appear to be fundamental to the safe classroom. However, students
describe that, in clear rules and expectations about behaviour, they feel a
genuinely grounded love for and concern about them. (p. 42).
Teachers who are predictable and confident and who show good leadership skills
are teachers whom students trust and can turn to for support. On the other hand, a
teacher with poor leadership skills who seems insecure will instead have difficulties
in building relationships with students.
Interpersonal professions, such as teaching, demand knowledge about how to
handle conflicts and problematic situations. When problems arise, the teacher plays
an important role in teaching the students how to solve the situation in a constructive
way. In doing so, the teacher presents the tools needed to be able to solve conflicts
constructively in the future. Solving conflicts constructively will strengthen respect
and relationships not only among the students but also between the students and the

Promoting Professional and Personal Growth of Educators and Excellence in Education 9