‘Behind every profession is a person’: Students’ written memories of their own teacher–student relationships

This article employs a narrative approach in examining the intertwining of the personal and professional in teacher–student relationships. A total of 141 Finnish people of various ages wrote about their teachers; specifically, the article focuses on memories related to their teachers’ personal lives. Such memories illustrate the inevitable presence of teachers’ personal lives in schools and show how teacher–student relationships develop in private contexts during and after the school years. Teacher education should provide tools and means of supporting teachers to consider the personal and professional in teacher–student relationships. Nowadays, social media challenges teachers to reconsider these aspects.

► Student memories show teachers’ personal lives as inevitably present to students.
► Teacher–student relationships develop also in private contexts outside school.
► The personal and professional are intertwined in teacher–student relationships.
► Teacher education should support teachers to consider the personal and professional.