Teacher retention is a serious issue in education systems worldwide, with significant consequences for the value of instruction and student outcomes. In secondary schools across Wakiso district, Wakiso District, Uganda, the challenge of retaining teachers has become increasingly pronounced. This study examined the relationship between student-teacher interaction and teacher retention. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. The study used the mixed method, where the qualitative method shall be for the interview guide well as the quantitative method will be employed when teachers are filling questionnaire. Head teachers will be interviewed. The target population entailed all secondary school teachers in the ten selected schools in Wakiso district. According to Wakiso District Education Office (2024), there are approximately 430 teachers across all private secondary schools in Wakiso district. The sample was stratified proportionally to ensure representation from each institution. So 152 teachers (distributed across schools based on their teacher populations). Headteachers/administrators: 10 (all purposively included for qualitative insights). Crosssectional design was chosen such that data was collected at a single point and once without follow-up (Creswell, 2017). This allowed for a snapshot analysis of working conditions and teacher retention in Wakiso district. Results showed that 72.4% agreed they can easily communicate with students, while 55.9% agreed their students actively participate. However, 38.2% said they rarely have time for individual attention. Overcrowding was noted by 57.9% as limiting interaction. Only 26.3% agreed they receive constructive feedback from students, but 54.6% agreed there is mutual respect. Also results further showed that only 34.2% agreed they plan to continue teaching at the school next year, while 57.2% agreed they frequently think about leaving. Only 23.7% agreed they feel valued, and 19.8% agreed working conditions motivate them to stay long-term. A large majority (75%) disagreed that they have refused transfer opportunities to remain. The significance of the second hypothesis (H₂) which stated that there is no significant relationship betweenstudent-teacher interaction and teacher retention,Pearson correlation(rₛ) was used and results showed that there is a positive significant relationship between student-teacher interaction and teacher retention among teachers (rₛ = 0.523, p < 0.01). The higher the quality of student-teacher interaction, the higher the retention levels. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected. The qualitative data also revealed that student behaviour and the quality of the relationship significantly impact teacher morale. Positive, respectful interactions were a source of motivation, whereas environments with persistent disciplinary issues, compounded by a lack of administrative support in managing them, led to emotional exhaustion. This aligns with the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, which posits that excessive job demands (like managing large, unruly classes) deplete energy and lead to burnout, while job resources (like positive student relationships) buffer stress and foster engagement (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017). In the context of Wakiso district,overcrowding acts as a critical demand that depletes the resource of positive student-teacher interaction. Furthermore, the language of instruction policy presented a unique interaction barrier. Some teachers indicated that switching between local languages and English to ensure comprehension added a layer of complexity to communication, particularly in lower secondary levels. This points to a pedagogical challenge that, if unaddressed, can diminish teaching efficacy and satisfaction. It was concluded that the core teaching experience matters profoundly. Overcrowded classrooms, a direct result of rapid population growth without commensurate teacher recruitment, severely degrade the quality of studentteacher interaction. This transforms teaching from a rewarding profession into a stressful, unmanageable task, leading to burnout and attrition. Based on the study's findings and conclusion, it was recommended that there is need to address the Teacher Shortage and Classroom Overcrowding. This can be done by launching an urgent, data-driven teacher recruitment and deployment drive specifically targeting highgrowth peri-urban districts. Recruitment should be aligned with projected enrollment increases to achieve manageable pupil-teacher ratios.