I am excited to find a book, published by the American Psychological Association in 1999, as part of the School Psychology Book Series, called Enhancing Relationships Between Children and Teachers, by Robert C. Pianta. I wish I had seen it when I started out my school psychology career that very same year, hoping to have a impact on enhancing relationships between children and teachers!

Dr. Pianta’s interest in the subject began when he was a 6th grade special education teacher before going on to graduate study. He taught the same group of boys for his 3 years of teaching, and noticed important effects on children, and himself of the relationship building available due to the greater than usual amount of time with the children afforded by that school design including:

-reduced problems in classroom management

-increased motivation for difficult academic tasks, and academic performance, among children with labels of learning disability and emotional disturbance

-the value to him of support and consultation on relationships that were not working well.

In this practical book, Dr. Pianta reviews theories of social development and interpersonal relationships, general systems theory and ecological perspectives.

I found my way into the book by reading the clinical vignettes.