Abstract
This study utilized action research to explore effective ways that teachers might develop loving relationships with their students in order to positively impact their academic achievement. Qualitative reflections collected throughout the study gave way to three themes that suggest strategies teachers might use to build strong, loving relationships with their students. These themes indicate that teachers must adjust their priorities in the classroom in order to dedicate time and space within the class period to forming personal connections with students. Once connections are established, teachers must make regular contact with students to satisfy student desire for continued proximity and to reinforce the positive behaviors that personal relationships help to develop in students. After the study was finished, comparative tests on quantitative, grade book data indicated that there was no statistically significant impact made on student achievement, but tests conducted among population subgroups suggest ample opportunity for future research. The action plan developed as a result of this research highlights how much is left to study in connection with the benefits of love in the high school classroom.