How To Get Your Teacher To Like You

by Alex Le ‘17

1. Define the Relationship

Ideally, this teacher is not just your mentor, but eventually your friend. In order for this to happen, you need to establish the type of relationship you want early on. Tease your teacher like you would your friends about his/her looks by saying, “Late night? That ex- plains why your hair looks like a bird’s nest. ” Jokes like these are a sign of a healthy friendship. If the teacher gives you detention, that’s a strong indication things are go- ing great because he/she wants to spend more time with you.

2. Be Better than the Rest

Your class is most likely made up of 20-30 students, and in order to have the best relation- ship with your teacher, you need to prove to him/her that you are the smartest in the class. When your teacher asks questions to the class, don’t raise your hand pa- tiently and quietly. Simply shout out your answer in the loudest voice possible, wrong or right. The teacher will appreciate your con dence and the fact that you don’t want to waste valuable time in class with super uous hand-raising exercises.

3. Individuality Is Key

You want to cement your place in your teacher’s mind. In order to do this, ALWAYS asks individual questions pertaining to

only you in the middle of class. For example, during a class dis- cussion, shout out, “I was ab- sent yesterday. What’d I miss?” During math, mention any dis- parity you have with the teacher, such as, “I got 37.345 as the nal answer but you got 37.346. Is that okay?” Asking individual ques- tions demonstrates your commit- ment to your own success.

If you’ve followed all of these steps, you will have made an impression on your teacher for

years to come. Not only will your teacher mention your name spe- ci cally to her other classes, but she’ll talk to your future teachers and mention all your great qual- ities such as speaking without raising your hand, your tenden- cy to tease, and your individual- ity/commitment to your future! Granted, all your peers will hate you for wasting their time and you won’t have any friends, but at least your teacher will like you! Good luck!