From passing your teacher in the hall and saying, respectively, “Hello, Mr. James,” to a smile at him upon entering his classroom, pleasant manners are fundamental and necessary if you want your teacher to like you. A huge component of respecting your teacher is listening to your teacher. You are there to learn, and your teacher is there to teach. Also make sure to use good manners with other students by not interrupting them, or by being sarcastic or putting them down.  ”Please,” “thank you” and “excuse me” are appropriate signs of respect at any time. When your teacher is teaching to the class or directly speaking to you, maintain eye contact. It shows you are listening, interested and engaged. It’s a compliment to your teacher. Directions in school are either instructions regarding how to do something or they’re rules. You want to follow both. It shows your teacher that you’re not only listening but that you also have respect for his or class rules. One of those rules is often to raise your hand when you have a question, when you wish to make a comment or if you need to be excused from class to, for example, use the restroom. Listening and following directions span numerous areas of your life, and school is no different. A classroom with kids scampering about or a lecture hall full of busy student fingers moving over smart phones are not a teacher’s dream come true. Instead envision a quiet class in which everyone is facing the teacher, listening to the lecture. That’s what a teacher wants to see, and how you should behave in class. Your teacher will notice, and it will be appreciated.  Be aware of your body language. Sit up straight. It shows you care and are involved. Slouching to the side, with your head in your hand, can be considered quite rude by teachers. Make sure you take good notes in class, which also shows you’re paying attention, focusing on what’s important and not letting your mind wander. Notes are also a written record of what your teacher says in class and will help you do well on assignments and tests. If you’re having a really hard time focusing in class, talk to your teacher and to your parents. One of the most effective ways to your teacher’s heart is by being engaged in class discussions, asking questions, and responding thoughtfully to new ideas and facts. In life, people respond positively to you when you show an interest in what they like or in what they are doing, making or discussing. It’s the same with teachers. You also want to participate effectively and respectfully in groups.  When working in groups, don’t be overbearing and take over the group. But also don’t be the one who doesn’t do much on the group assignment or project. Be an active member. While participating in open class discussions and asking questions is encouraged, be careful not to overdo it. Make sure others have plenty of time to talk and ask questions, too. The biggest “thank you” you can give your teacher, and the surest way to make him or her happy and proud, is by excelling. Many people get into teaching because they want to have a positive impact on students and the world. They want to see passion, creativity and knowledge grow. They want to feel like they’ve made a difference in their students’ lives. Show your teacher he or she has had a positive impact on you by producing high-quality work that is neat, legible, carefully put together and always turned in on time.  Make sure you are consistent. Doing really well only the first week or two to make a good first impression won’t be enough. It will later make your teacher think you aren’t living up to your potential.  If you put in the time and effort to do well the duration of the class, you will reap the rewards of your teacher’s high regard. If you do a lot of in-class work and are able to sit wherever you want, choose a seat away from talkative friends. This will let you focus and word hard, which your teacher will happily see.
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One-sentence summary -- Be respectful in and out of class. Follow directions. Pay attention to the lesson or lecture. Participate in class. Strive to do well.


No one is a born journalist, and you have much to learn about writing and working for a paper. Read up on journalism on websites for students. Spend some time at your local library finding out more through books, or ask the school to provide you with a few resources if your school library doesn't already have some. You should also be reading other papers. Try reading your local paper, for instance. Reading newspapers helps you learn the journalistic style. Most newspapers use AP style to write their articles. A style guide just tells you how to do certain things, such as write numbers and make abbreviations. AP style focuses on making things short and sweet since most newspapers don't have much space. You can use a site like https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/735/02/ to learn the basics, but you may also want to get your hands on a copy of the stylebook, The Associated Press Stylebook. Of course, not every article is going to appeal to everyone. But you should work on producing a paper that appeals to a wide selection of the student body. You want to write on things that interest people, without getting too gossipy or too academic. The goal of your paper should be to help build a community at your school. Be as inclusive as you can. As you continue to develop your newspaper, you can add fun things, such as games, crosswords, or comics. You can even write your own puzzles, related to your school. For instance, word searches are fairly easy to put together. While a newspaper does have sections where your opinion is appropriate, such as the editorial page or the reviews section, you shouldn't insert your opinion in the features or news sections. They need to be unbiased, which means you don't slant it either way. You just present the facts.
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One-sentence summary --
Find resources to learn about journalism. Follow Associated Press (AP) style. Work on appeal. Add fun stuff. Keep your opinion out of the news.