Investigating the Power of Authentically Caring Student-Teacher Relationships for Latinx Students

Culturally responsive and authentically caring pedagogy is vitally important to academic success for Latinx students. This type of teaching is based on reciprocal relationships between students and teachers, and incorporates students' funds of knowledge. This qualitative case study brings the voices of Latinx students to the forefront by examining how their teachers help create "funds of caring" for the students by cultivating authentically caring relationships, and by highlighting what these relationships mean for the students. Findings show that teachers can make school a meaningful and positive experience for Latinx youth by interacting with students in authentically caring ways.