Good relationships between students and teachers can define one’s high school years. When strong, the relations are long remembered and aid to elevate school work and college applications.
Seniors who apply to selective universities almost always need one or two teacher recommendations. College board gives advice to students during the applications process. “A strong teacher recommendation can bring a student to life for the admission committee and may be the decisive factor for students with weaker grades or test scores.” Facilitating positive relationships with teachers is crucial during the application process.
Senior Alyssa Paulson has weighed in on her student teacher relationships. “I think that it’s easier to want to work hard in classes that you enjoy and it’s easier to enjoy a class when you connect well with a teacher.”
For her, most of her relations with teachers are either a click or they don’t but she recommends that students have to be themselves, even with their teachers. To help kids hoping to have better relations with their teachers she said, “You just have to speak up more and be involved in class.”
Teaching basic and AP French classes and coaching Science Bowl, Pleasant Valley’s French teacher Bart Meinke is known for good relationships with students. “I try to make sure everyone feels comfortable in the classroom, that they know that they can come see me if they have a problem with coursework. I don’t always succeed but that’s what I try to do the first couple weeks of school is create that trust and mutual respect.”
In the higher levels of French there is usually higher achievement that corresponds with closer relationships, but that may do more with long term French work.
Regarding making up work or other struggles in the classroom, Meinke recommends being honest and keeping an open conversation. “I think that if more kids just come in to their teachers and explain what’s going on in life teachers are a lot more flexible.”
America is notorious for having more familiar relations than most countries. In France, students stand when their teacher walks into the classroom and they must use the formal “vous” when speaking. In India the relationship is also more formal and the teachers are the ones that switch classrooms.
