Back to School: Tips for Being Attentive Without Being a Teacher's Pet

One of the problems many good students face today is being made fun of for being a teacher's pet. Here are some ways that students who are interested in school and are attentive in class can fully participate without facing the taunting of being labeled as a teacher's pet.

How to Avoid a Teacher's Pet Label: Don't Sit in the Front Row

A simple way to avoid getting called a teacher's pet is to not choose to sit in the front row of the classroom. Sitting toward the middle or back, and especially the sides, is likely to make your attentiveness less noticeable, especially if you are sitting with your friends and chatting before class.

How to Avoid a Teacher's Pet Label: Have Fun in Class

The classroom isn't just about learning, but is also about being a student and getting the full experience of school. One of the ways to do this is to have fun in class. Whether it is working on a group project or helping each other with assignments, it isn't completely necessary to be the taskmaster all the time, as long as the work does get done in due time.

How to Avoid a Teacher's Pet Label: Don't Answer All the Questions

Even if you know the answer to a question, that does not mean you should always volunteer it. Get in the practice of letting other students have a chance to answer the questions (even if they don't want to) so that the learning experience is more evenly distributed among all the students. Plus, you will draw less attention to yourself if you are not raising your hand to answer questions all the time (like Hermione in the Harry Potter books and movies).

How to Avoid a Teacher's Pet Label: Don't be Friends with the Teacher

Many teachers are quite willing to hang out with their students during lunch, and to chat before or after class as well. It is okay to do this occasionally, but don't try to be the teacher's best buddy, because it will definitely end up hurting your reputation.

How to Avoid a Teacher's Pet Label: Cautions

Labels aren't everything, and if you need to make a choice between getting a teacher's pet label and getting absolutely nothing out of class, then it is probably best to just deal with the label. Especially if you will be going on to higher education, it is very important that you get a strong foundation in all the subjects you will need to build from in the future.