by Matt Bird

Created on: June 12, 2009

Every teacher's different. There's no predicting exactly which behaviors a professor will love, not to mention which they'll detest. That said there are some general guidelines you can keep in mind that will probably get you in your professor's good books. Do your best to adhere to these items if you want to increase your chances of developing a good working relationship with your prof.

- Punctuality. Teachers don't like students who are perpetually late. Get to class on time every day and you'll generate at least a neutral impression, if not a good one. The same goes for assignments, as well - get everything in on time, if not a teensy bit earlier than everyone else. This is especially true if a teacher says you can hand something in early. Try to hit the early date and ease up their marking load.

- Students who participate. Teachers hate it when they ask a question and receive stony silence as an answer. Even if you don't quite know the right answer, toss it out and see what you get; if nothing else you might prompt other students to give the question a shot. Try and come up with questions for the teacher if they ask 'Does anybody have any other questions?', as well; it shows you're interested in the material.

- Students who do their work consistently. It's really obvious if a teacher asks you a question about something and you BS an answer. Educated answers can go a long way towards impressing your professor, as it shows you've done the readings they assigned.

- Students who seek extra help when it's necessary. Most students are either too scared or don't care enough to ask the teacher if something's wrong. It's a shame, too, since teachers usually love to provide a bit of extra help, and set aside office hours for that very purpose. Take advantage of that time whenever possible and get to know your teacher a little bit better.

- Well-edited work. Teachers hate receiving work that's riddled with common errors which could easily be rectified with a little bit of attention. Go over your work several times before handing it in to limit the amount of mistakes your teacher will have to deal with.

- Attentive students. Pay attention in class. That's what you're paying for, right? An education? Sit up straight, maintain eye contact and take notes often. Leave fraternizing and other such concerns for after class, where they belong.

It's really not difficult to impress a teacher. All you need to do is exactly what you're there to do in the first place: work. Make their jobs as easy as possible while maintaining a positive attitude and you'll do just fine.

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