Greetings Improve Student Teacher Relationships

OPINION

As a part-time teacher at the Islamic Learning Center of New York (ILC-NY), I recall not noticing how much a greeting, smile, or calling a student by their name could shift the atmosphere in the room, guiding the rest of the day. Over time, I noticed that when I took a moment to acknowledge  students as they arrived, instead of just marking down attendance, asking about their week ,or just saying “Hi,” they became more comfortable participating and asking questions. It wasn’t about immediately remembering everyone’s names perfectly, but genuinely recognizing them.

Reading research  by Gillian M. Sandstrom published in PLOSOne made me reflect on the way these small interactions built on trust and belonging change the teacher-student relationship. Sandstrom compares three conditions over five weeks: greeting students as they arrive, supplying name boards for students to display their names, and a  control group with neither. The greeting and name board conditions improved students’ relationship with the teacher even if the teacher didn’t know their name.  Even though the changes did not directly improve the students’ relatedness or belonging, students who felt they had a stronger relationship with their instructor also reported feeling greater relatedness and belonging. 

What is interesting is both the practicality of the intervention and the nuance of the results. On the one hand, greeting students is simple, low-cost, and adaptable, which is a great advantage in large classes or constrained teaching settings. There’s a small power in these gestures that have non-trivial psychological impacts. On the other hand, the fact that the direct impact was only on enjoyment and interest, and that relatedness and belonging were only affected indirectly, shows the limits and conditions. For example, it matters if the students actually feel recognized, not just the instructor doing the greeting. There also appeared to be differences in whether students were in their first year or second year of university. The familiarity with  instructor mattered too.  For example, greetings seemed to have a stronger impact in first-year classes, where students may be less familiar with university life and more sensitive to rapport-building efforts. 

Sandstrom’s study highlights how powerful a simple human connection can be in an academic environment. An instructor doesn’t need elaborate strategies or use all of their college psychology lessons, or have a perfect memory for their students names to make students be seen. But sometimes, consistent warmth and acknowledgement are enough to encourage engagement and enjoyment. From both a research and personal standpoint, it’s encouraging to know that something as small as greeting students can warm up of the classroom atmosphere enough to help students connect and pay attention.