This article discusses conceptualisations of teacher–student relations with regard to their ethical character and moral implications. The discussion addresses the moral guidance that different kinds of conceptualisations offer for establishing and maintaining a teacher–student relation that is beneficial for student learning. While “pedagogical recipes” offer practical guidance by prescribing what to do, “pedagogical doctrines” might provide the teacher with theoretical guidance that explains why one particular behaviour has potential to ensure good teacher–student relations. However, by drawing on Martin Buber's I-Thou philosophy in detailing the affordances of a “pedagogical beacon”, I will argue that this ethical-existential kind of guidance is preferable because it tells us who we endeavour to be.