The Guidance Guy Advice Column

Dear Guidance Guy,

How do you get a teacher to help you out more than others, like if you have a problem and you need help on it and they don't come to you when you raise your hand? What should I do?

Judy

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Dear Judy,


The first thing you can do is to give the best effort you possibly can in solving the problem on your own. There are two reasons for this. First, if you work on a tough problem extra hard (and look at it a little bit differently) you might just get it yourself. Second, even if you don't get it you can show the teacher how much you tried. This will show him or her you are serious. And they will probably be more willing to help.

Depending on what kind of lesson the teacher is giving and how much help you need, it may not be something that can be fixed during class time. So it may be a good idea to get some extra help either before or after class. This way you will get the extra help you need one-on-one with the teacher. And there won't be any other students to feel funny or embarrassed around.

Try those ideas out and see if they work.

Good Luck,
The Guidance Guy