RELATIONSHIP THESAURUS

HEADMASTER AND STUDENT



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HELPFUL TIP:

Relationships are part of the very fabric of your character’s life. How well or poorly they get along with others oftentimes comes down to personality, so carefully consider the positive traits and negative traits of your story’s cast. Another factor that can pull characters together or create friction is motivation, so keep each individual’s goal—both at the scene and story level—in mind as you write.
DESCRIPTION:
A headmaster is the primary administrative figure at a school, overseeing the academic experience for all students. The degree of separation between the two parties often make it a superficial or transactional relationship, but with a little planning and outside-of-the-box thinking, it can become deeper and more nuanced.

For other relationships in the school environment, see PRINCIPAL AND TEACHER and TEACHER AND STUDENT.

RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS:
Below are a wide range of dynamics that may accompany this relationship. Use the ideas that suit your story and work best for your characters to bring about and/or resolve the necessary conflict.

A headmaster taking great pains to make sure the student succeeds
The student respecting the headmaster's position of authority
A headmaster actively mentoring a student
A headmaster taking special interest in a student because of a relationship with the student's parents (they're friends, donors, etc.)
A relationship in which the headmaster is also the student's parent or other relative
A headmaster and student with a purely academic relationship (only interacting when there are educational questions or concerns)
A cruel or unbending headmaster ruling the student with an iron fist
An entitled student believing the headmaster should give them what they want or have "earned"
A headmaster having low expectations for the student and being quick to believe the worst about them
A headmaster having unreasonably high expectations for the student
A student trying to ruin a headmaster's career or make their professional life difficult
A headmaster being determined to remove the student from the school
A headmaster and student using each other to get what they want

CHALLENGES THAT COULD THREATEN THE STATUS QUO:
The student getting caught breaking a rule or violating a policy
The school being embroiled in a scandal
The student criticizing the headmaster or school online
The student suffering a trauma that triggers PTSD, depression, or another mental challenge
Either party discovering sensitive information about the other
The headmaster showing favoritism to the student in a very public way
The student's parent being hired to work at the school
The parties discovering personal ties outside the school environment
The headmaster suspecting that the student is suffering from neglect or abuse at home
The student developing a relationship with the headmaster's child
The student's family pulling their financial support from the school 
The student's financial situation changing, making it difficult for them to afford tuition
The student becoming an athletic or arts phenom, giving them more power

WOUNDS THAT COULD FACTOR INTO THE RELATIONSHIP:
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POSSIBLE CONFLICT SCENARIOS:
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CONFLICTING DESIRES THAT CAN IMPAIR THE RELATIONSHIP:
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CLASHING PERSONALITY TRAIT COMBINATIONS:
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NEGATIVE OUTCOMES OF FRICTION:
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FICTIONAL SCENARIOS THAT COULD TURN THESE CHARACTERS INTO ALLIES:
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WAYS THIS RELATIONSHIP MAY LEAD TO POSITIVE GROWTH:
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THEMES AND SYMBOLS THAT CAN BE EXPLORED THROUGH THIS RELATIONSHIP:
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