There is a common misconception that having a good relationship with a teacher means that the student is a “kiss-up.” This is so far from the case. Being a “kiss-up” is making a show of talking sweetly to a teacher in order to gain a reaction.

It is guaranteed that grades will be better once a student learns to have a relationship with a teacher person to person. This can be achieved by simply staying after with the teacher and asking additional questions or letting your teacher know about stresses in your life so they can help you work around them. It could even be as simple as asking a teacher how their weekend was.

If a student has a circumstance that forbids him or her from being able to finish an assignment on time or if they need to postpone a quiz, their teacher would be significantly more willing to make arrangements for those that had spent the time creating a trust and relationship rather than if the student waits until they were called out for an assignment and gives an excuse.

Whether it is for college recommendations or simply flexibility in the class, by creating these relationships students will realize that teachers are people, too. They might even prove to be more interesting than last week’s Twitter drama.