How to get teachers to like you

By Faith Tupin,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

In Physical Education class, sophomore Blair Boswell finds out that she has ten points more than her friend Kelsey Dossa. According to the two, Dossa works equally as hard as Boswell does; however, her grade says otherwise. The reason for this? “It’s probably because he doesn’t like you as much,” Boswell says.

It’s good to build a relationship with your teachers so you can get a more personal connection with them. By doing so it could actually help you do better in the class and could get you more engaged. Some students would even argue that if your teacher likes you then they will grade you easier.

“I definitely think that teachers grade their favorite students nicer. Consciously or not,” sophomore Sophia Sangervasi said.

When attending high school you aren’t just getting an education, you are also building social skills. It’s a time where a lot of students learn how to act around people and what characteristics people look for in their friends.

“I don’t believe teachers play favorites, or at least I’ve never seen it happen. I think the myth of a favorite student might arise from students simply communicating with their teacher,” Davis High English teacher David Achimore said.

With over 120 teachers and staff at DHS the topic is up to debate. While changing your grade by getting a teacher to like you might seem unlikely, many believe it is possible depending on who the teacher is.

Most teachers claim they don’t play specific favorites, however they do have a favorite type of student.

“I don’t believe it’s about favorites or preferred students, teachers like students that are engaged and make an effort in their class,” Davis High social science teacher Caitlin Butler said.

“I try not to let how I feel about a kid affect his or her grade but I do factor in more than just the raw scores as well.  For example, I really like a student who participates in class as well as a student who rewrites a so-so paper in an effort to become a better writer.  That becomes part of the equation,” Eleanor Neagley said.

Although every teacher is different and may look for certain aspects in their students more than others, it is possible to get every single one of your teachers to like you if you try hard enough.

Math teacher Phil Raymond says he prefers “a student with a sense of humor, flexibility, one who values an education, a student who sets goals and works hard to achieve them, friendly and supportive of their classmates.”

Some students seem to forget that teachers are people too. They deserve respect, especially because their only job is to educate their students.

What makes a good person seems to also make a likable student. The same characteristics people look for in friends is very similar if not the same to what teachers look for in students.

“I would think that hard work and integrity often make a successful student in terms of academics. When it comes to a likable student, I would apply the same terms for a likable human being: empathy and generosity. If you can be considerate of other people and the challenges they face, and turn this into a generous action, then people will probably like you,” Achimore said. “But if you take pleasure at the suffering of others and ignore those in pain and make it more difficult for them to receive aid or support, then you will probably be less liked. I believe this can probably be seen in all areas of life, including a high school campus.”