Whether you are in high school or college, you, as a student, know that every teacher has a good and a bad side. Of course you would rather get on that good side, but how do you do that? If you’re not in the best position with your teacher now, you can be for next semester if you take this advice.
High school teachers commented on their expectations for their students, which is what truly drives this “good side, bad side” debate:
When asked what makes a “good” student, East Hall teacher Robert Comley said that it’s one who “is motivated to be the ‘best’ he or she can be regardless of the strength of their skill level.” So kids essentially need to follow the lesson they’ve been taught since kindergarten: Do your best.
Comley also gave some feedback on his personal expectations for his students: “Each student should prepare for each day’s topic, engage in the conversation whether comments are pro or con, then demonstrate their knowledge on an assessment.”
Did you get all that? It’s certainly not something we as students want to hear, but to impress a teacher, you need to prepare for the class and actually be involved, then show some progress on tests. Comley put it simple: “Preparation, participation and performance.”
North Hall teacher Tony Wagner shared some of this thoughts on this. His expectations are for his students “to be the best student/person they can be on a daily basis.”
Both teachers brought up a point that certainly affects us high schoolers. Whether it’s other people or other things, we all have distractions for our schoolwork. Wagner said, “A great student takes the reins and control of their learning and doesn’t let anyone or thing stop them from gaining knowledge and understanding.”
According to Comley, “The ideal student has the ‘want to succeed’ in spite of those who would be distractors to their set goals.” Summed up, don’t let anything get in your way from growing in your career as a student.
In regard to rules for the classroom, it’s pretty important you follow them if you want on that good side. While spoken rules may be clear, there are some unspoken ones that you as a student should know just as well.
“We are going to learn and do things with excitement and passion and not waste time. And, hopefully, have some fun doing it and learning about just more than our subject. Also, about ourselves and live,” Wagner said.
Just about every student sees their teacher as having a good or bad side, and they definitely know which one they are on. If you’ve found yourself struggling to please your teacher this year but can’t figure out what to do, then take some of these teachers’ advice. You can easily get on anyone’s “good side” by meeting their expectations.