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The article explores the teacher-student relationship and examines ways in which it can be enhanced to the benefits of youth and adults. Teachers are a centrally important yet often overlooked resource in the lives of youth. Teacher-student relationships, when properly harnessed, may emulate mentoring at its best. Schools vary in terms of climate, ethos, values, and generalized expectations regarding the behavior of students and teachers. The climate of an environment influences the confidence of children in their abilities and the belief of teachers in their efficacy. Relationships between children and teachers are marked by variation in both the extent of emotional and interactional involvement and the qualities of the emotional experience of that involvement. Negativity appears to be a particularly salient aspect of teachers' relationship experience, whereas emotional closeness, involvement, and support appear to be the most salient from the students' perspective. Using similar measurements and methods in the study of mentoring could help researchers understand whether these findings are unique to students and teachers or generalize to relationships with other non-parental adults.