<p>I recently had to ask my English teacher of two years for a recommendation. It wasn't a college rec or anything crazy like that, but it was just for an application for admission into a selective "society" at our school.
I'd say that we've had a pretty professional (?) relationship. She seems to like my work as I repeatedly score very well on essays and assignments in that class (I had her for 10th grade adv. english and now ap english). The only thing is when I asked her for a recommendation, she requested that I give her a list of my leadership positions and extracurricular activities. I know I shouldn't be surprised about this as I know that some teachers do request this for recs, but I have to say that I wasn't exactly happy with how objectively she seemed to respond. She basically took a look at the rec request form and listed off the information she wanted from me.
I'll have her for two years and I'm hoping to ask her to write my college recs when I'm a senior next year, but now this has me re-thinking whether she's the right person. She's not the teacher that I'll crack jokes around and talk about life with, but I participate in her class, ask questions...etc.
Should the teachers I ask recs for be people who I could crack jokes with and just chat with? It makes me uncomfortable to admit how strictly professional my relationship with this teacher has been. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>well a teacher does need to know those things. </p>
<p>i think that a teacher who you talk with more, and joke with is the better option. that teacher knows your personality better. but i think that teacher would also still ask for your ECs and stuff</p>
<p>All my relationships with teachers have been fairly professional because I’m kind of reserved in general. I think my recommendations will be fine because I tried to be insightful/original in class and my assignments…I wasn’t the funny kid, but I wasn’t some drone with no personality either.</p>
<p>The teachers I asked for recs in high school were the ones I had a more friendly and less professional relationship. My soccer coach was my go to teacher, but I was good friends with two of my history teachers, to the point where we regularly stay in touch in college, and they provided great recommendations.</p>
<p>Remember that for college, most schools will want to see teachers from junior/senior year. However, I don’t understand this statement:
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<p>If you admit that your relationship is contained in the classroom, and she wanted to give you a good recommendation, what were you expecting from her?</p>
<p>If you are looking for a recommendation for a top school, those students are typically the students that are intellectually challenging in the classroom, but also engaging as human beings. You don’t necessarily need to “crack jokes” with your teacher, but a “professional” relationship can contain conversations outside of class about deeper insights into the works you’re reading or the kind of thinker and citizen you are. This was the kind of relationship I had with my teachers: I didn’t “crack jokes” with them, and they certainly weren’t my friends, but I took the initiative to both become a leader within the classroom and seek them out outside of class and develop genuine, “professional,” academic relationships with them.</p>
<p>If you are looking for a recommendation, and all your teacher knows is what is in the classroom, why wouldn’t you want a teacher to include something about your ECs? Yes, it’s better if they know them from talking with you, but both of the recommenders I had also asked for resumes just so they could solidify the understandings we discussed in conversation.</p>
<p>I think that you should probably consider another teacher who you have a little bit less of a professional relationship with, just because the point of a letter of recommendation is to add another dimension to your college apps. Even if you didn’t do great in another class, a teacher who knows more about you as a person might contribute more to your overall application. Your grades will show that you are a good student, so if this teacher can only say things about your study habits, etc. you might want to find another teacher to write your recs.</p>
<p>I understand what you mean because I was also slightly offended when I asked a teacher I’ve had for four years and actually have a very good relationship with personally inside and outside of school, and she told me to fill out one of those sheets with all my extra curriculars. I think you need to decide whether it’s worth the risk that she is going to write you a fill in the blank letter of recommendation. She may have just wanted to see what all your involved in so she could give them a better idea of who you are though, so don’t get too worried.</p>