<p>So we all know how important good recommendation letters are. But in order for a teacher to write an amazing recommendation letter, they have to like you and know you well.</p>
<p>So, what do/did you do to get on the good side of your teacher? Whether it be little details like staying after class, raising your hand a lot in class, etc., share them!</p>
<p>Always be attentative, and Always look directly at the teacher. </p>
<p>nothing else.</p>
<p>Why would you have to get a teacher to like you if you're interested in the subject, work hard, and show good responsibility and good character? </p>
<p>I mean, it's like, do you really need the threat of a good rec, so that you can plan how to get a teacher to like you? If you were naturally a good student, you wouldn't need to fake it.</p>
<p>well one of my teachers likes me alot and i think its because of my personality i wasnt the smartest kid in the class id goof off alot make jokes the whole 9 yards but i would get my work done in on time i ended up with the third highest grade in the class a b plus in a rough ap lang and comp class the 2 higher ones got very low A's but yeah....i think she liked me so much because i could play around and sill get my work done she even came out and told me that im her favorite student shes had in 20 years of teaching when i asked for a recomendation......so be yourself not every teacher will like you trust me some think im too arrogant and come off a little *******ish</p>
<p>^ Obviously that language class wasn't English :)</p>
<p>Do your work, pay attention in class and be respectful. And don't try to play them.</p>
<p>o it was english its just i dont care for anything online i got a 5 on the ap exam....i can write properly if i really wanted to...spelling i dont know</p>
<p>This is me generalizing from my own experiences in HS,</p>
<p>English: Be the kid who talks a lot, offers thought-provoking questions as well as questions that show you are listening to the teacher's statements. Also be quirky or funny and use sarcasm and high-level literary words.</p>
<p>Math: Be the smart kid that the teacher can call on for help whenever there is a tough question. Stay after school and help tutor other kids (if your school does this).</p>
<p>History: Do awesome on tests and also answer the historical questions your teacher gives in class with more information than you need to. Also ask thought-provoking questions.</p>
<p>Science: Do well of course, and offer to be the one to go to the board to answer the hard questions. Also, you can help the teacher afterschool with supplies/projects/etc.</p>
<p>I did some of these and I got amazing recommendations. Probably doesn't work for everyone and is teacher-dependent. For example, my AP History teacher's favorite student was the captain of the football team 'cause he loooved our school's football.</p>
<p>I think what people have said so far is about right: be attentive, take part in class discussions, word hard/diligently, etc. Natural aptitude helps, especially if you can excel in the class without being snobby about it. It helps if you show enthusiasm for the subject, and it also helps if you can show that you’ve been paying attention not just by looking at the teacher but through your work. </p>
<p>For example on the last point, I had a history teacher offer to write me a recommendation after the first test in his class…in JUNIOR year! Apparently he found my answers incredibly articulate and spot on (it was short answers/essays)…he even gave me extra credit even though there was no extra credit questions because he liked on of the essays so much. And the thing is, sure, I was a good writer, better than probably a lot of the people in the class. But I wasn’t necessarily the best history student there, I certainly wasn’t the most into the subject. But I paid a lot of attention and really listened to the broader points he was trying to make and that came through in my tests: I didnt just reiterate the facts. That kind of thing makes teachers happy, I think. (That’s not to say you have to mindlessly agree with everything a teacher says, but if you disagree you should have a good reason and at least be able to show that you got the teacher’s point even if you think they’re wrong). </p>
<p>I also think it’s good to focus on teachers in your better subjects, unless you have a particularly good relationship with a teacher in a subject you aren’t so good at. I was never going to ask a Spanish teacher for a recommendation, for example, because I floundered in the subject, and although my teachers might have said I was nice and a hard worker, I wouldn’t have come off as an exceptionally anything student. OTOH, if I had a Spanish teacher who also worked with me in a school club and therefore could really bring me to life in a rec, I would have considered asking them.</p>
<p>Of course, even students get recommendation even if they aren’t attentive/talkative/diligent workers/exceptional students, whether it’s because they’re brilliant slackers, shy, just not the most academically “smart,” etc. However, they may have to work harder to make sure they get a good one, and it will vary by person. </p>
<p>The academic underachiever has to find the teachers who are impressed by their intellect despite bad work habits, maybe try to find a teacher who share’s their love of Indie movies (or whatever), or one who wasn’t a perfect student themselves and can sympathize. The shy person might foster relationships by talking to teachers outside of class: they need to show they are interested and have ideas even if they are scared to participate in discussion. The person who just doesn’t have the natural aptitude could impress teachers by working hard/asking for help outside of class/etc (this kind of person might also benefit from a teacher knows about and could comment on other achievements. Maybe they could never get a grade higher than a B, but did a great job running the yearbook and that impressed the teacher, etc).</p>
<p>Just my thoughts based on my own and friends’ experiences.</p>
<p>ETA: Of course, sometimes you have to get a teacher from a subject that's not your best because of requirements (some schools want one math/science, one humanities rec, for example). Still, doing everything else (working hard, paying attention, etc) will often get teachers to like you, even if you don't have the natural aptitude. </p>
<p>Also, listen for cues from your teachers to figure out which ones alrady like you most/more than you think. For example, when I was agonizing over what ED school to do, I talked to my chem. teacher about it, and he said something like “you’ll excel at either one,” which surprised me because I though he didn't think so much of me after I slacked off a bit one quarter in his class. I ended up getting into my ED school with two humanities recs, but if I’d ended up needing a math/science rec, I would have seriously considered him after that, even though initially he was off the table.</p>
<p>pay attention (which I can't do).</p>
<p>I think also what helps is if you've had that teacher for more than just one year and have had the opportunity to get close to him/her. For example, next year (my senior year), for the teachers I want to write me recs, it will be their 5th and 3rd year teaching me respectively. The first teacher has become more of a second mother than a teacher and the latter has become someone I could see myself hanging out with after I graduate. </p>
<p>Of course, most kids haven't been placed in this same situation, but the concept still applies; get close to your teachers.</p>