ABSTRACT
School bonding and school attachment are presented in this chapter because of their inter-related roles in student life. The teacher–student relationship is the foundation of the school experience. Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) recognises the importance of including traits of students' cultures in all aspects of learning. Specific positive praise is a cost effective, natural and frequently available form of positive reinforcement that is often underused by teachers. Building on the use of specific positive praise in conjunction with culturally responsive pedagogy, after school programs and mentoring programs have been found to improve teacher–student relationships. Incorporating social emotional learning opportunities within the classroom is one way teachers can build positive peer relationships of their students and be proactive in addressing problem behaviour. Students with disabilities are often educated in pull-out programs or self-contained classrooms, resulting in fewer opportunities to make connections with a variety of teachers and same-age peers, resulting in fewer bonds created with others.
