Teaching Underprivileged Students with a Soul: Insights into Emotional Leadership in Underprivileged Communities.

The purpose of the current study is to explore the emotional relationships between teachers who were appointed to guide and provide consultation to underprivileged students in a special improvement and support programme given by an external agency (Pitchon Lev) and the local Ministry of Education, and their students. Based on semi-structured interviews with 15 graduates, it was found that the guide-student relations are embedded with many positive emotions. This, in turn, intensified the climate of trust in the class, increased student achievement and self-growth, and led to mutual emotional commitments in the class. Some insights into emotional leadership in our schools are offered.