I am pretty shy in class… I’m very motivated and I definitely care about school. I get decent scores on everything EXCEPT when it comes to participation. It’s like I have some kind of terrible disease (probably social anxiety) that prevents me from ever speaking my mind. Sometimes, all I want to do is shout to the whole class what my opinion is before someone else takes it, or ask my teacher a question without worrying about what other judgmental classmates think of me. My point is, I’m gonna need some good letters of recommendation soon, as I am a junior in high school. Any advice on how I can stand out to my teachers and show them who I am and why I deserve to go to a good college?
Approach them about it. Go up to your teacher after class and explain to them how you feel during class and discuss what you can do about it. This shows the teacher that you really do care and just get either nervous or anxious when speaking with the class. A teacher would love to see that you care enough to go up and talk to them to discuss your anxiety and how to work with it. I had this same problem with my English class last year. After speaking with my English teacher she was completely understanding and after that always seemed to care about me and make sure that I was able to contribute both comfortably and effectively in the class. Not to mention it made me more comfortable knowing that she understood what I was feeling. She was one of my favorite teachers and I will for sure be asking for a letter of rec.
I was like you too lol. I was so worried but it is actually easier than you think. Teachers do care about their students and are more than willing to write you a good one. I didn’t really talk that much in class and all of my teachers agreed to right me a letter. Granted I did get really good grades in the classes, so basically just choose classes that you did good in.
Lol i was kind of like you when I first started high school. One thing that I learned really helps is sitting in the front of the class/ close to the teacher. If you do that it feels a lot more like you are having a discussion with the teacher than with the whole class.
And the bottom line is…just raise your hand. Don’t think about it or make up scenarios in your head. If you have a significant or insightful comment about the topic then just put your hand up and think about it later. What’s the worst that can happen? Not really much.
And about the recs. You just basically have to become friends with the teacher. Try to talk to them like you would a friend. Do well in class and ALWAYS do homework.
Thanks for this. I also feel the same way.
My teacher even forgot my name today when I asked her for a rec letter (which she agreed to write) for a summer program. I was beyond mortified.