How to Meet With Your Teachers (Before the Test)

Imagine this: You are working on a big project and need someone to help you with a crucial step right before the deadline. The first person you go to, you don’t know well and asking them for something feels awkward. The second person you go to is someone you have asked questions, become friendly with, and collaborated with in the past. Which one is more likely to help you? 

Because we’ve built a relationship, we’d take a bet on Person #2. The same scenario applies to working with teachers. The more invested the student is in the relationship and their communication with a teacher, the more likely they are to receive help and guidance. 

Start this relationship early! 2-3 weeks into the school year is a great starting point to set up a meeting.

We recommend taking notes and keeping a question log to guide conversations with the teacher, especially if you don’t know them well yet. Once you have a couple questions, set a time to meet with your teacher. Going to your teacher for help early will benefit your understanding and student-teacher relationship. 

Action Item: Print out our teacher meeting log to help focus the conversation and keep teacher questions all in one place. 

(Important) Hidden Benefits to Meeting with Teachers: 

  1. Mentorship: Teachers are critical adult influences in your child’s life and have significant impact on their education and interests. Teachers can be lifelong mentors to guide your student’s educational journeys and career interests.

  2. Insight into grading: Especially in humanities and writing, knowing what your teacher values and how they will grade you helps you to focus your study strategies and essay writing on the ‘right’ topics. 

  3. References: Letters of recommendation may become valuable for college admissions and other opportunities. Building strong rapport with teachers is crucial for strong letters as admission teams expect the recommender to know the student well. 

Further Reading and Resources

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