Your algebra teacher wears clothes from 1985 and always mispronounces your name. Your English teacher loves to start classes with pop quizzes. It can be hard to think of these givers of grades as real people. But they eat pizza, watch movies, and enjoy sports on the weekends, just like you.

So how can you get along with your teachers? Here are some tips.

Why Work on Good Relationships With Teachers?

A good relationship with a teacher today may help you in the future. You will need teachers' written recommendations to apply to a college or for a job after high school. And if you're thinking about going into a career in science, who better to ask about the field than your science teacher?

Teachers are often plugged into the community and may be the first to find out about local competitions, activities, or contests. They also may know about grants and scholarships. Sonia's Spanish teacher found out about a contest for exchange program scholarships in Brazil and Spain. Her teacher encouraged and guided her, and Sonia's months and months of work earned her a scholarship as an exchange student.

Teachers are often asked to appoint students to student offices or they may recommend students as volunteers for special community programs. All of these activities can help you get into college or get a good job.