ABSTRACT
The chapter employs a languaging relations framework to explore how teacher-student interaction creates an evolving relational-key. A relational-key unfolds, metaphorically, similar to how music creates a shared mood or atmosphere in a room to constitute relationships among people. The chapter analyzes two kindergarten classroom events to examine how a kindergarten teacher and her students language a relational-key that evolves from intimacy and togetherness, and then is layered first with a relational-key of sarcasm and joking and then with a relational-key of skepticism. Analysis of a second event examines how two students language a relational-key based on secrecy, friendship, enjoyment, and solidarity.
