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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine how leaders enrich school culture by facilitating support structures for building and sustaining positive student-teacher relationships in a middle school. The impact of positive student-teacher relationships is vast, and leaders can have a direct effect on the quality of relationships in their schools. The following themes emerged from the study: 1) An intentional focus on relationships fostered individual relationships and improved community; 2) Leader actions, including modeling positive relationships, communicating a strong vision, and embedding relationships into school structures, impacted teachers’ prioritization of building and sustaining positive student-teacher relationships; 3) A foundation of restorative practices created the conditions for learning intentional strategies and moved toward a schoolwide structure for relationship-building. Leaders who support and facilitate formal and informal structures for relationship-building can cultivate the desire for reflection and discourse focused on relationships and contribute to a positive culture.