Strategies for Maintaining Strong Student-Teacher Relationships

Lifelines, resources, motivators, and inspirations, teachers act as the students’guides through the exciting, sometimes frustrating, but always challenging world of education. They are there to prepare the students for the adult world, help them grow into kind, curious, and diligent citizens, and inspire a love of learning. But a teacher’s role is relatively passive. They can only give so much without input on the parts of the students. Students have to take advantage of these giving members of a school community in order to fully profit from the efforts of a teacher. As such, it is essential that students maintain strong relationships with their teachers to wholly exploit their potential.

How do students maintain strong relationships with their teachers?

Go to them for extra help
Even though a teacher might be busy, he or she is always willing to designate time towards working with a student one on one. Taking the time to learn the subject matter more comprehensively only demonstrates to a teacher the student's dedication to learning and their motivation to succeed.

Ask questions
Far from making a teacher think that a student is stupid or lazy, asking questions indicates that the student is attentive, thoughtful and not afraid to speak for his or herself. Students should not feel too intimidated to ask questions if they are confused about a concept, would like clarification, or would like another practice example. This is what teachers are for: to do their best at communicating the subject matter. Therefore, asking questions allows them to perform their duty and share their knowledge.

Go over tests together
Simply asking a teacher to go over a recent test with a student can mean a lot to that teacher as it displays a dedication to self-improvement beyond receiving a letter grade.

Organize an in-lunch review session
Asking a teacher and some other students to participate in a lunch session review before a test is not only a great way to study and help classmates but also a great way to connect with teachers through exposing to them a student’s leadership and initiative.

Greet them in a hallway
Even the simplest of gestures can work towards maintaining a strong relationship with a teacher such as acknowledging them while passing in a hallway. Keeping eye contact and greeting he or she with a smile does wonders towards showing the teacher a student’s maturity, engagement, and friendliness.

Do homework
It is so basic that some students even forget to do it. Doing homework is an important display of consistent effort and hard work. It is a gesture of respect towards the teacher and his or her discipline. It is not just the elaborate efforts that build a relationship with a teacher, but the simple and steady efforts as well.

give your best effort

To take full advantage of all of the resources available at school, students should do their best to develop respectful and strong relationships with their teacher. Teachers are fundamental to the school system and have the potential to change the students’ lives for the better if the students put in the effort to establish and maintain these relationships.

At Sanford School, we create not only strong student-teacher relationships but also cohesive parent-teacher relationships. Students are more likely to be successful when there is a partnership between students, parents, and teachers.  

Olivia Civiletti is a member of Sanford School's Class of 2017. She is  currently attending Johns Hopkins University.

See also: Finding Great Teachers, Parent Involvment Improves Your Child's Educational Experience