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What is your process for askin teachers a letter of recommendation?

Do you normally ask the same teachers, or do you vary the teachers you ask? (My school is very small, so I'm basically asking my same science teacher and my same English teacher over and over again).

What do you give them afterwards? A thank you card?

Thanks!

By Anarchy245 (Anarchy245) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 11:08 pm: Edit

Think about it this way:

a) You've done work for these people for the past three+ years, and now it's time for them to do something for you

b) Teachers realize how important recommendations are, and that they will, invariably, have to write some. This is not a time to be shy, but to be persistant, and go for what you want.

Ask them in the halls. Leave them notes. Bug them during lunch. Take the initiative and follow through until you get what you want. Certainly be nice about it, and brown-nosing never hurts, but go after a good recommendation with charisma!

Thank-you notes are always a good thing, and if it was an especially good teacher, buy them something :p [the more expensive the better :p]
Luckily for me I did the "expensive gift" thing back in sophomore year for my history teacher, having bought her a $150 jeweled brass globe, so I am all set there :D

By Thumper1 (Thumper1) on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 01:20 pm: Edit

Don't worry about asking the same folks "over and over again". In this day and age with computers...they should be saving the first letter they write for you and then they will only be doing a bit of editing for subsequent letters (like changing the name and address to whom it will be sent). When DS asked teachers, he always gave them a stamped, addressed envelope so they could mail the letters themselves. After he chose a school, he wrote the teachers a nice note thanking them for writing his letters. He also had the same three people write for seven schools, and for all the outside scholarship applications (there were tons of those). It was not a problem....teachers simply opened their computers, made the changes and sent the letters. It is VERY important, however, to give these folks sufficient time...don't do anything at the last minute.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 08:50 pm: Edit

"Think about it this way:

a) You've done work for these people for the past three+ years, and now it's time for them to do something for you "

That makes no sense. Students don't work for their teachers. Students work for themselves -- to learn.

Hand written thank-you notes are the polite thing for students to do when teachers write recommendations. Gifts are unnecessary.

Teachers are employed to teach. Theoretically, they work for the employers, who are either the taxpayers (public school) or parents and donors (private school).

Teachers work when they teach, including when they give things like tests. Teachers do something for student each time they enter the classroom.