Talking to Teachers: The How-To Guide

By Annie B. We’ve all been there. You go online to check your grades, and see a zero for a homework assignment you know you turned in. Next comes the worst part: you have to talk to your teacher about it.

If you are anything like me, you’d rather not have this kind of conversation with your teacher. It wasn’t something I enjoyed in middle school, and when I reached my very large high school (over 2,000 students!), I felt even more intimidated.

The truth is, the majority of my teachers are overworked and underpaid. On a daily basis, they have to deal with a variety of students, ranging from polite and motivated to downright rude. I completely understand how teachers might react negatively when students come to “complain” about class.  

Since my freshman year, I have “fine tuned” my tips for meeting with teachers. Maybe these tips will help you, too.

1. It is always better to talk to your teacher in person instead of over email. I find it harder to explain my concern over email. Because email doesn’t involve face-to-face interaction, emotion is more difficult to convey.  There are various mediums you can do this through with a virtual teacher who you can’t see in person, such as a phone call or live classroom ( like blackboard collaborate).
2. You should always go into the meeting with a goal. What do you want to have accomplished by the end? This will help you avoid simply complaining to the teacher.  Honestly, that is the hardest part for me! It is so much easier for me to just complain to a teacher, especially when I am unhappy with the class. But teachers deal with complaining students on a daily basis. They don’t want another complainer, and they’ll appreciate your efforts to be constructive and collaborative.
3. Don’t blame your teacher. Ever. Most of my teachers are used to students blaming them for everything. Teachers are less likely to respond well when a student says, “You graded my test wrong. These questions are right and you marked them wrong.” Say something like, “I am confused about these questions on the test. I wasn’t sure what I did wrong, and I was hoping you could help me.” This gives the teacher the opportunity to look at your test with a fresh perspective instead of just reacting defensively.
4. Show them that you genuinely care about the subject and the class. Now, I get that some classes just aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Teachers understand that too. But many of my classmates show no enthusiasm for any subject. It is amazing to see how happy teachers are when you demonstrate genuine interest in a topic. The more you show that you care about the learning, the better the outcome will be.
5. Thank your teacher. As much as some teachers can make us extremely frustrated, remember that as students we can be pretty frustrating as well. Even if the teacher isn’t responding well to the meeting  - maybe he or she seems cold or disinterested - it is still appropriate to say thank you. By showing your appreciation at the end of the meeting (no matter the outcome), it makes you look better in the teacher’s eyes. Teachers like to know that their students appreciate their work. Wouldn’t you feel the same way if you were a teacher?

Most of the teachers I have met with have responded well when I kept these rules in mind. At the end of the day, teachers aren’t looking to fail you. They want to succeed just as much as you want to. As long as you are courteous, constructive, show your appreciation, and avoid complaining, (hopefully) they will be happy to help you out.