By remembering myself when I was 13 and 14, by explaining my motives and motivations, by keeping up with their music and slang and sometimes fashions, so that we can find common ground in our discussions. I keep a good sense of humor and, above all, never show disdain for their thoughts or lives or tastes, nor do I look down on them in any way. The teachers who got through to me most were the teachers who took the time to treat me as an equal, who spoke to me out of class about mundane issues and who were always willing to help me either with schoolwork or just to listen. Strangely enough, some of these teachers had reputations as being the hardest to get good grades from. They were rarely the 'fun' teachers whose classes you could float through.
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