How to impress your teacher: Impressing your teacher without being a teacher's pet

How to impress your teacher? Don't confuse impressing your teacher with being a teacher's pet, being a geek or a nerd. Being in your teacher's good books is an image you develop as a student. It will help you build a good rapport with your teacher and instill a few highly regarded life skills into your personality. Learn how your everyday habits and behavior in class and school can have a positive impact on your teacher's perception of the kind of student you are.

1) Feel free to ask your teacher questions when you don't understand something

Some students often shy away from asking their teacher questions during or after class, assuming that they will look stupid if they do. If you want to impress your teacher, don't make this mistake yourself.

Feel free to put your hand up in the middle of class if you don't understand something that your teacher is teaching. If you don't feel like interrupting, wait for the class to get over and put your doubt forward by quietly walking up to your teacher's desk when everyone is leaving.

Don't worry about sounding dumb. Teachers like it when students ask questions, no matter how silly they are. It is a sign that the student is consciously putting in effort to understand the subject.

2) Make eye contact with your teacher when he or she is teaching

Don't slouch over your desk in class. Sit straight and make eye contact with your teacher every now and then. Making eye contact is the easiest way to grab your teacher's attention because it is a sign of attentiveness.

3) Greet your teacher whenever you see him or her in school

Break ice with your teacher by beginning to greet him or her. Start greeting your teacher by simply saying good morning or good afternoon.

Whether it is when your teacher enters the class or when you bump into your teacher in the school halls, your greetings will go a long way in warming up your rapport with your teacher.

4) Grab a seat at the front of the class: Teachers don't always like backbenchers

Grab a seat at the front of your class if you want to impress your teacher. Being at the front will help you to take part in class discussion, respond immediately to your teacher's questions and be more attentive than you would have been at the back of the class.

Back benchers are typically seen as students who don't pay, or don't want to pay attention in class. Whether that is true in your case or not, avoid being stereotyped in the first place by grabbing a seat in one of the first few rows in class.

5) Be on time: Teachers hate it when students walk in late

Being on time is not something that will help you to impress your teachers. But being late will instantly make your teacher notice you in bad light. Turning up late for class even a couple of times will create a bad impression.

6) Have a short conversation with your teacher after class

When everyone is in a hurry to get out of class when the bell rings, quietly wait at your seat as you put your books back into your bag. When the others disappear out into the school halls, go up to your teacher's desk and have a conversation.

This quick two minute conversation can be something about your homework, upcoming project, extra-curricular activities or even something as random about how you are trying to cope up with taking up an extra credit.

These quick chats will help you impress your teacher and also build a personal rapport with him or her.

7) Don't break rules in your school

Teachers are never fond of students who break school rules because they create unnecessary problems. To be in your teacher's good books, make sure that you follow the rules of your school.

Don't give your teacher an opportunity to catch you doing something that you are not supposed to do. Following rules is not something that will impress your teacher overnight but as the months go by, your teacher will gradually notice you as a mature student who knows where to draw the boundaries.

8) Take active part in open class discussions: Participate, don't just observe

Teachers get highly impressed when students actively and voluntarily take part in class discussions. Whether it is raising your hand when teachers ask a question or responding to intelligent comments made by other classmates, being an active part of the class will instantly get you noticed by your teacher.

• Such active participation is highly regarded simply because
• It shows a high level of interest on the student's part
• It displays the student's understanding of what it being taught in class
• Active participation backed by well rounded knowledge is a sign of intelligence

9) Wish your teacher on his or her birthday

You will instantly impress your teacher if you personally wish him or her a happy birthday. Just remember that there is nothing geeky about writing a cute birthday message for your teacher on a card.

If you think that a greeting card is a bit too much, just wish your teacher Happy Birthday with a wide smile when he or she walks into the class.

10) Give your teacher a card on Teacher's Day

Students may not understand this but the value of even the simplest Teacher's Day card is priceless to a teacher. Go ahead and write a sweet message to thank your teacher on Teacher's Day.

As surprising as it may sound to a student, many teachers save cards and greetings they get from their students on Teacher's Day. These cards become precious memories and teachers often read them again and again to feel good about their jobs.

11) Do your homework regularly

One of the easiest ways to instantly get in your teacher's good books is to do your homework regularly. Don't get caught out with incomplete homework and assignments.

Teachers are easily impressed when they spot students putting in extra effort to make sure that they never turn up to class without their homework finished.

12) Dress neatly: Wear washed and nicely ironed clothes

Appearance plays a big role when it comes to impressing your teacher. The clothes that you wear will speak a lot about your overall personality as a student.

If your school has a uniform, be sure to wear a washed and ironed pair. A nice and crisp uniform will give your teacher a sign that you come from a home where neat appearances are highly valued.

13) Tip for girls: Avoid using excessive makeup and beauty products

Teachers generally don't approve of excessive use of makeup among teenage girls. Using makeup and impressing your teacher are two things that will definitely clash.

If you must use a little bit of makeup to avoid standing out from the other girls in school, make sure that you keep it to a minimum. A dab of lip gloss or eye liner will really be all you need to make sure that you aren't the odd one out in your class.

14) Help your classmates with their work

Your teacher will be highly impressed at watching you help your classmates with their work. Next time when you see one of your friends struggling with something in a group project, offer your help and bail him or her out.

Such an attitude shows that you are not selfish ad you actually care for your friends. Moreover it will also show your teacher that you have well rounded knowledge which you gladly share with others.

15) Don't try to be your teacher's pet: Don't become obsessed

There is a fine line between impressing your teacher in a healthy way, and becoming obsessed about it. Here are a few guidelines

• Be who you are, don't try to be someone else
• Don't impress your teachers just to get good grades
• Be genuine and truthful
• Don't have vested interests behind being nice to your teacher