An era of high-stakes testing and accountability may be producing classroom conditions that undermine student learning. When teachers must focus their energies on preparing students for the test, they have less time to get to know students personally or make them feel valued, respected, and supported. The author reviews research showing that strong teacher-student relationships are crucial to student academic achievement at all grade levels. Students need to know that teachers care. Research shows that caring teachers hold students to high expectations but also give them the support they need to reach those expectations. The author provides suggestions for both classroom and schoolwide strategies that build strong student-teacher relationships.