How to Get Good Grades

Step 2 Why Your Teacher is Your Best Friend

Your teacher determines your grade, not you, nor your neighbor, nor the teacher's assistant. So, your teacher is either your best friend when it comes to grades, or your worst enemy. I'd like to show you how to make them your friend. Even if all your tests are standardized and graded by machine, your teacher's handwriting in his or her little grade book is the final word on your grade. Your teacher is the end of the grading road.

Just like a judge and jury, you need to sway your teacher in your favor. Even if you are Einstein, a teacher that hates you will give you poor grades. (Einstein flunked out of middle school. Too bad he didn't have this instructable....) On the other hand, how well the teacher likes you will determine how much mercy they feel for you, how much makeup work they will give you, and how much you can persuade them in your favor. Follow the two steps below to find a friend in every teacher.

1) Make sure your teacher can put your name with your face. The professor sees a minimum of 90 unique faces a day, an average of 150, and as many as 500. If you're an anonymous face amongst the masses, you'll never get on her good side. They have to know your name to like you or hate you.

2) Ask questions. This is a compliment to your teacher, and will definitely affect her feelings about you. Asking a question allows the teacher to express her expertise by looking knowledgeable in front of the class, strokes her ego a bit, emphasizes that you want to learn, and strengthens a name/face relationship with the teacher. Remember: Asking questions is key. Just make sure the question is asked respectfully (e.g. at an appropriate time in the lecture, when the teacher asks for questions, or after raising your hand and waiting to be recognized.)