AbstractA substantial percentage of students come to school with a number of stress factors from life circumstances, personal clinical attributes, and typical adolescent challenges. As a result, some students become disengaged from school, are unsuccessful, or drop out of school. School structures are not always equipped to respond to such problems. A mounting collection of research has begun to document the importance of teacher‐student relationships in academic success and socioemotional development. Much of this research reveals that relationships between teachers and students can make a vital difference in student success.