8 Tips for Building a Healthy Relationship With Your Teacher

A good relationship with your teacher can help you both in and out of the classroom. However, most students aren’t sure how to establish this type of connection in their own classroom setting.

That’s why we’ve put together this list of 8 tips for building a healthy relationship with your teacher and strengthening your learning environment to help you take your education to the next level.

1) Get to know your teacher

It’s important to be kind and respectful to your teacher, but it’s also important to give them some space. If they want you to call them by their first name, that’s usually okay.

However, if they ask you not to do so, please respect their wishes. You should always greet your teacher when you enter the classroom in the morning.

Be prepared When going into class on Monday mornings, make sure you’re fully prepared for the day ahead with everything from pencils and notebooks to snacks or lunch money.

Practice active listening.You’ll have many opportunities to practice active listening skills in class. The best way to do this is to show genuine interest in what your teacher is saying.

2) Attend class regularly

One of the first things you should do to build a relationship with your teacher is attend class regularly. This will demonstrate to your teacher that you’re interested in what they have to say and show them that you care about the subject matter.

The more time you spend together, the more likely it is that they will take an interest in you as well. Try not to miss too many classes without a valid excuse (e.g., being sick).

If you are absent often, don’t expect them to want to know who you are. Asking questions during class is another great way to get your teacher’s attention!

Start out by asking general questions such as what is this? or when did this happen? so that they can assess your level of understanding.

You’ll be surprised how happy teachers will be when their students start participating in discussions rather than just sitting back passively taking notes.

3) Participate in class

Participate in class by asking questions and contributing to discussions. This will help you get the most out of your classes while demonstrating your intelligence and engagement with the material.

Get to know your teacher on a personal level outside of the classroom as well, by talking to them about their interests and exchanging contact information so that you can ask them questions later.

There are many opportunities to do this outside of school such as during clubs or after school tutoring sessions.

Plus, be respectful: Don’t interrupt your teacher when they’re speaking, don’t hog their attention, and don’t be disrespectful.

Make sure they understand how much you appreciate what they’re teaching and what an important role they play in your academic life.

4) Do your homework

Some simple strategies to help you develop a healthy relationship with your teacher:

✓. Be positive and respectful.

✓. Try to understand the teacher’s perspective.

✓. Understand that teachers have feelings too, and they may be different from yours.

✓. Respect their time and energy by not taking up too much of it or being late without an excuse

✓. Avoid trying to get the teacher’s attention or approval at all costs

✓. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help or clarification

✓. Take care of yourself and don’t let stress over school cause you to neglect other parts of your life

✓. Speak up if you’re feeling hurt or upset about something and see what can be done about it

5) Ask questions

For you to best understand your teacher, you’ve got to seek answers to some of your burning questions, to get started, you can start with the following:

✓. Do you like to be called by your first name or your last?

✓. What is the best way to contact you outside of school hours?

✓. How do you prefer to be contacted in general? Text message, phone call, email, etc.?

✓. What kind of information would you like me to share with you about myself that I haven’t already shared with you?

✓. Is there anything else that I can help you with at school or home?

6) Show respect

The most important thing you can do to start building your relationship with your teacher is to show them respect.

Teachers want their students to be engaged, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by showing them respect.

If you’re disrespectful in any way, don’t expect your teacher to engage with you.

Follow instructions: Most teachers give out instructions at the beginning of class that should be followed from then on.

If you disobey these instructions and get reprimanded later on in the day, don’t complain about it because it was entirely avoidable.

Be honest: It’s always good to be honest with a new person in your life, especially if they are close to you.

7) Be positive

Teachers are some of the most under appreciated people in society. We need them to teach us, guide us and be there for us when we need them.

Compliment your teacher at least once per day. It doesn’t matter how small the compliment is; it’s all about showing appreciation.

When you go up to your teacher after class, don’t just say thank you. Say something like Thank you so much for doing my homework last night. – Stay on top of homework assignments by keeping track of all deadlines.

8) Have realistic expectations

It is crucial to have realistic expectations of your teacher. Ask yourself what you want to get out of the relationship and what you are willing to put in.

If you do not have realistic expectations, then it is unlikely that the relationship will be successful. The next few tips will explain how to improve this.

Stay up-to-date with school work: One way to ensure that you have an effective relationship with your teacher is by staying up-to-date on schoolwork.

✓ Keep track of deadlines:

Another way to build an effective relationship with your teachers is by keeping track of deadlines and turning assignments in before they are due.

✓ Communication: Teachers appreciate being informed about upcoming assignments or potential changes before they happen, so stay in communication with them!