How to Impress Your Teachers
Making a good impression on teachers is an important part of being a good student. Keep being active and engaged in class. Answer & ask questions whenever possible, & follow your teacher’s directions carefully. Always do your best at school, and the teachers are sure to be impressed by your efforts.
Focused in The Class
1. Follow the Directions from your teacher.
Carefully read all directions for homework and other assignments. Write down the directions if given directly (orally), and if you forget the directions, ask for help from your friends or teacher.
1. For example, if your essay assignment requires you to type in Times New Roman with and font size of 12 points, don’t use Helvetica with a font size of 13.
2. Do your homework.
Homework is likely to be a big factor in “building up” your final grade. By doing your homework well and submitting it on time, you can earn your teacher’s appreciation. In addition, you will be prepared to participate in class discussions.
1. Sometimes, homework takes longer to complete than you expect. Therefore, do your homework as soon as possible to make sure you have enough time to complete it.
2. If you forget to do your homework, don’t make excuses like, “Ouch! My mom forgot to get my assignment from the bag!” Take responsibility and tell the truth. You may still get negative consequences, but your teacher will respect you because you are responsible enough to admit your mistakes.
3. Focus on the material explained by your teacher.
When your teacher is talking, pay attention and listen to what he says. If he writes material on the blackboard, watch the blackboard and take notes on the material, even when not asked. This will show that you are actively involved in the learning process.
1. While laptop use is permitted in some schools (e.g. to type notes), don’t use your laptop or cell phone during class to chat with friends or browse social media.
2. If your friend distracts you, find another seat (or move your seat).
4. Show courtesy & respect for your teacher.
Show respect by asking how you’re doing and saying hello to your teacher when you pass each other in the hallways. If your teacher says hello (eg “Good morning!”), return the greeting. Always use polite language when talking to your teacher.
5. Get to class on time.
If you are consistently late for class (or worse, never come to school at all), your teacher will be disappointed. To impress her, make sure you get to class on time.
1. If you have a doctor’s appointment, a sports game or band concert, or any other event that requires you to miss class, call your teacher early and let them know you can’t make it. Ask about the homework and reading assignments assigned for the day.
6. Learn advanced material from the material studied in class
Take the time to study additional material so you can understand the material taught by your teacher better. For example, if you want to impress your German teacher, learn some additional words and phrases that can be used in class or while you are doing homework. In this way, you can show that you have an interest in the subject.
1. Use books, podcasts, videos, or articles to learn more about the topic/material your teacher provides. Look for additional resources on the internet and in your local library.
2. You can ask for additional material directly from your teacher. For example, you can ask or borrow other books on topics you like.
7. Give feedback to your teacher.
Positive encouragement is the best form of feedback. For example, if you liked a certain material/subject or your teacher was able to help you understand difficult material better, tell your teacher about that. With positive feedback, your teacher will know that he has taught well and feel valued.
1. You can also provide constructive feedback on how teaching could be improved or improved. If you don’t quite understand what your teacher is saying or explaining, ask for additional examples of the material in question after or outside of class (via email or class chat group, for example).
8. Dress neatly when asked.
Oftentimes, the way you dress is not a reflection of your interest in the material/class being attended. However, if you have to do a presentation or give some kind of “speech,” your teacher may suggest that you wear formal clothes. Follow your teacher’s advice in such situations and dress professionally.
Increasing Participation
1. Ask questions in class.
Your teacher will be very impressed if you can ask good (or deep) questions. The formulation of the questions will be different, depending on the subject you are taking. Think about the material your teacher taught or assigned, then identify information that hasn’t been explained well (or not at all).
2. Offer to help your teacher in class.
If your teacher is tidying up their desks or putting up posters, ask them if they need help. Your care & generosity will impress your teacher.
3. Answer the questions posed by your teacher.
If you know the answer (or feel that you might know it), raise your hand and answer the question. Don’t be afraid to give wrong answers because your teacher will still appreciate your efforts.
4. Don’t dominate class discussion
Your teacher won’t be impressed if you always “snatch” all the attention. Make some main points, then let others contribute.
1. There is no “right” number for how often you are allowed to ask or answer questions in class. If your class is large enough or your teacher doesn’t open up an open question or comment session, sometimes you may not be able to participate at all.
5. Join the class discussion.
Your teacher may ask for comments from you and other students on a particular problem or topic being discussed. During an open exchange of ideas or comments, share your thoughts and feelings in an honest and open way. Use your classmates’ responses and class materials to shape your opinions and comments.
Demonstrates Greater Effort
1. Encourage development or change in your school.
There are many ways you can follow to improve your school. Think of ways to make your school better and write a letter (in polite language, of course) to your teacher expressing your concern for the school.
1. Open the letter with a series of positive comments about the current state of your school.
2. After explaining what you like about the school, move on to a paragraph that contains requests or suggestions for improvements to the school. Use clear and straightforward language to explain problems and possible solutions.
3. If you need help identifying ways to improve the quality of your school, ask your friends for advice. One aspect that may need improvement includes better access for students with disabilities.
2. Be a tutor for other students.
If you are good enough in a certain subject, you can work as a tutor (or do it voluntarily). Look for opportunities to tutor others through official agencies/channels (eg tutoring programs run by schools) or your network of friends and social circles.
3. Get involved in activities in the community and write about your experiences
Volunteering to help your city’s underprivileged community, submitting a petition to improve safety, or submitting a proposal to the city government to build a public park are all positive extracurricular activities that can impress your teacher. Experiences like these may not be appropriate to share with a math and science teacher who doesn’t require you to write a lot. However, writing about your experiences can be useful material for subjects such as English, sociology, and history.
4. Organize canned food deliveries during the holiday season
Invite your classmates to bring canned food or packaged products to school and place them in the boxes you have prepared. After that, donate the box containing the food ingredients to a public kitchen or other donation institution before the holidays arrive.
1. To increase participation, ask your teacher if he or she would like to add value to students who donate food.
5. Join a mentor program that involves different classes (if implemented at your school)
Mentor programs like this can pair seniors with juniors to provide study tips and advice. If you want, you can also organize your own mentor program which can strengthen juniors to resist pressure from their peers (especially negative pressure).
1. After setting program goals and methods, enlist the help of other friends to act as mentors.
2. Promote your program via the internet and posters that can be placed around the school to attract the attention of underclassmen who might be interested.
3. The mentor program that is run must be flexible. This program is your own, so develop it in a way that will help grow your school and impress your teacher.
6. Be a leader by getting involved in student council activities
The role you take on student council or a high position in another organization can encourage your teacher to have a more positive view of you. The specific process for how to become a member of the student council or similar organization will depend on your school.
1. Usually, you need to develop some form of campaign, gain support from your friends, and compete with your opponents to win the election.
2. You might get a high position in school clubs without any obvious competition. Talk to the administrators of the school club you are interested in about ways you can contribute to the club.