Princeton Day School is great at fostering connections that inspire a powerful learning environment. This connection can be strengthened by students having the freedom to decide which teacher knows them best. Not only will this help students in the college process, but it will allow students to learn under a teaching style they comprehend best and with a teacher they feel comfortable with.

Many students form close relationships with teachers, and they feel very comfortable approaching them for help. If this level of connection between student and teacher is reached, it should not be an issue for that student to request this friendly face for further classes.

Princeton Day School has always emphasized the importance of a strong student-teacher relationship. The administration has recommended that students contact their teachers for personal meetings to go over areas of confusion in their classes. This can be seen most clearly in the English classrooms, where students typically must meet with their teacher at least once a month, or in the Math Department office, which is usually crowded with students seeking help on homework and tests. Some may argue that students selecting teachers will not allow a student to experience different teaching styles and that it is very benefcial to be challenged by a new teacher and their methods. While this may be true, PDS is an environment that advertises the closeness between students and teachers as one of their greatest strengths. If this is the case. it would seem unwise to push students away from requesting a teacher they have grown close to. Expanding and growing that relationship would enhance the more personalized learning experience this school strives for.

With the college process becoming more and more competitive each year, it is also crucial that students have a teacher that has known them for a long enough time to write them a recommendation that truly and knowledgeably speaks to their attributes. When students are able to request a teacher they believe will help them succeed, they will be more inclined to demonstrate the best of their abilities in the classroom. This recommendation, a huge part in the college process, needs to be more than just a list of capabilities; it must show the teacher truly and wholly understands a student’s interests and qualities. Requesting a teacher will allow a student to choose someone who they believe understands them on this deeper level.