Students who struggle to build strong relationships with their teachers are more likely to drop out of school. This problem directly impacts high school graduation rates in urban areas. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore best practices urban high school teachers in NYC used to develop positive relationships with their students and how these relationships helped students become successful. This qualitative study was guided through the lens of the push/pulling framework and the developmental-transactional model. The data collection process for this study was accomplished through individual interview results from 10 participants who are teachers at an urban high school in New York City. Each participant suggested teachers who spend time with students during lunch, attend students' extracurricular activities, and have ongoing communication were best practices that helped teachers develop relationships with students. Participants believed that poor attendance and lack of support from parents and administration staff prevented them from building relationships with their students. Findings from this research may enrich the currently limited literature available. Recommendations for future research included a qualitative phenomenological study to explore in depth the lived experiences of high school teachers who are employed in schools located in any urban area to gain a broader understanding of best practices to help build positive relationships with students, a qualitative phenomenological study focusing on students which will provide insight on what they believe are best practices teachers use to build relations and the use of a questionnaire to find the frequency and quality of interactions between teachers and students, the level of trust and respect between them, and the students' perceptions of their teachers' support and guidance. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]