A close relationship with a teacher can help the child learn how to make friends and how to solve problems. Some children have a dependent relationship with their teacher. These children shy away from activities and hang around their teacher a lot. They depend on their teacher for their support. We find that this type of teacher relationship isn't as important to long-term outcomes.
Children seem to outgrow their dependence on the teacher as they mature.
I'll mention two findings we were somewhat surprised by. It appears that there is a level where friendship relations can become so close and possessive that they interfere with school performance. Another finding that was surprising had to do with the parent-child relationship. This overprotection or cushioning of children by parents seemed to interfere with the development of assertive social skills. We found that children who come from families that are stressed in some way, either economically stressed or have experienced stressful life events, struggle more in school.