Abstract
Despite decades of reform efforts in the public school system, students of color continue to receive an inequitable education as evidenced by the great disparity in academic performance trends along racial lines. This qualitative research study sought to examine the teacher and student of color relationship because research has shown that a strong teacher-student relationship has positive effects on student social, emotional, and academic outcomes but there has been a lack of research in this area focused on the student of color experience. The main research query asks what the perspectives of middle school teachers and students are with respect to the key social, emotional, cultural, and pedagogical elements constituting a high-quality teacher-student relationship.Critical race theory, social and emotional learning, and asset-/equity-based pedagogies provided conceptual and theoretical frameworks that undergirded this investigation of the interpersonal dynamics between White and Latinx teachers and their Black and Latinx students at a K-8 Title I school. Observations, questionnaires, and individual dialogues with teacher participants demonstrated the practices of “authentic caring,” “personalismo,” and “checking in” to positively engage with students in addition to difficulties relating with students of a different racial/ethnic background and comprehensively incorporating an asset-/equity-based pedagogy. Student participants value a warm, respectful teacher disposition and personal and academic support. Teacher and student accounts also described overt and covert manifestations of racism in schools. The study results indicate a need for educational systems to channel efforts and resources toward increasing teacher socioemotional and cultural competence, providing more targeted academic support, improving the implementation of asset-/equity-based pedagogy, and interrupting racism and unconscious bias to elevate student of color well-being and achievement.