Good communication between students and teachers is essential to creating a healthy, stable learning environment.

Students who have good relationships with their teachers have a greater level of confidence and comfort in class and they are more apt to ask questions and study harder because they communicate with their teachers on a regular basis.

“Communication is important because you learn in a better environment and you have a healthier relationship with your teacher. Therefore, you learn better. You can thrive more in the classroom,” said senior Melanie Maier.

Junior Kiana Tibas agreed. “Having good communication is really important. It definitely makes it easier to understand what you’re learning in class because you’re not afraid to talk to your teachers and ask them for help.”

Teachers who have good communication with their students are often deemed to be “cool” teachers. Students who feel comfortable talking with their teachers often mention to others about how they are open and easy to talk to about school work. Teachers always say that they are open to discussion with students whenever they need help and while this is true, communication with them is not always easy.

“Good communication is that they need to know what the assignments are and when they’re due. It affects their grades if there isn’t good communication. It’s also important because I’ve found that students’ performances are based on how well they like the class. If they don’t feel comfortable, they won’t do well in the class and they won’t want to participate in class,” said Physics teacher, Nathan Patla.

“It’s important to be on the same page with teachers. If one is thinking one thing and the other is thinking another, then they cannot come together and be successful. People cannot read minds. If one is not told something, she does not necessarily know what needs to be done. Communication is not one-sided. Students have to be willing to speak up in a tactful fashion. Likewise, the teacher has to be respectful and tactful when dealing with a student. We should always be learning and adjusting because education has changed a lot over the years,” said Vice-principal, Linda Debo.