Being a teacher’s pet is not a bad idea

The best thing a parent can do for a child in the early years of that child’s life is to make him or her likable.

Teaching the child to say ‘thank you’ and how to be kind is absolutely important. Teaching the child to consider the needs of others and not just his or her own will make him or her a person that’s nice to be around. This will allow the child to make friends easily and equip him or her with the tools necessary for socialization in general. This sets the child up nicely for adulthood as he would have honed the skills for networking which is essential in becoming a key player in the market place.

Being liked by your teacher is important for similar reasons. It allows you to get the most out of your teacher as he or she will be more willing to go the extra mile for a student that he or she likes. We tend to forget that teachers are human. Yes teachers try their best to be a objective and to like all students equally, but the human nature of a teacher will always cause him or her to warm a bit more to some students than others. A teacher’s professionalism, however, should cause him or her to treat each student equally in spite of their inevitable leaning towards one student or the other.

I know it may not sound fair that a teacher may have a special liking towards certain students, but here is the good news. There are things you can do, that will increase the likelihood of a teacher liking you. There are no guarantees, but in my experience, what I am about to share usually works like a charm:

Be well behaved during class

Students who are respectful and who do not disturb the teacher by talking out of turn or talking to a peer while the teacher is talking will always be looked on favorably. However it is also important that the student participates in class. Just sitting and being quiet won’t get you any recognition. However asking questions and being engaged in the lesson will cause your teacher to notice you and every teacher loves a student who finds their lesson interesting.

Do your homework

This should be ‘a given’, but there are several students who just don’t do their homework. By completing your homework you are telling your teacher that you are serious about your work and that you value it. It tells the teacher that you want to do well and it also speaks to your high level of maturity and sense of responsibility. A student who does his or her homework will gain ‘stripes’ so to speak from their teacher.

Ask for extra work

Now this one will definitely get you in the good books of your teacher. It shows that you are willing to go the extra mile to do well in the subject. Even though it will mean that the teacher will have to do extra work, he or she will do it with a willing heart. Every teacher is willing to help a student who shows a high level interest in doing well.

I have outlined just three things that can be done to gain favour with your teacher. But all of them are centered around a single trait – showing interest in your work. If you can cause your teacher to believe that you are interested in his or her subject and if you demonstrate that you are willing to do anything to succeed, then your teacher will bend his or her back to ensure that you achieve your academic goals. It is because of this why I say, ‘being a teacher’s pet is not a bad idea’ – it will certainly help you on your road to academic excellence.