Most students experience a “cool teacher” at some point in their lives; someone who is laidback and  funny, or who may try to get to know you deeper than surface-level knowledge. These teachers can be a source of inspiration, safety, friendship, and more. But at the end of the day, they’re still your teacher. When does being friends with a teacher cross the line, and is it really appropriate?

   There’s two ways to look at this situation. You can view it from an academic perspective, or you can view it from a social perspective, but it’s important to consider both lenses when determining whether a student-teacher friendship is appropriate or not.

   From an academic angle, there should be no effects. The friendship between the student and teacher should not give the student any unfair advantages or grade boosts. Teachers grading the work of a student they like may naturally grade less harshly, which is severely unfair to other students. While this may be appealing for students, teachers should be conscious of this and avoid it as much as possible. The standard for one should be the standard for all, regardless of any preferences. 

   Additionally, there is a clear social line between an appropriate student-teacher friendship and an inappropriate student-teacher friendship. When you’re in high school, you should be hanging out with kids your age, not your middle-aged teachers. If you’re taking your math teacher out to go bowling or your history teacher out fishing, then your friendship has entered the weird zone. 

   Teachers are superiors to students, and they should be respected on a professional level. It creates an uncomfortable atmosphere when someone is too close to an employer or a boss, and it isn’t any different in school. Watching teachers gossip or hang out with a classmate can be really uncomfortable for those around them, and it can sometimes come across creepily. There is a professional aspect to the school, and we should treat teachers like employers.Students should not tell them about their love life.

   That being said, teachers can still be friendly with students, just not friends. Students should maintain a respectful boundary with teachers while still being close with them. Once you’ve graduated, feel free to be their friend. School would then be out of the equation, which means you’re just two adult friends. In the meantime, students should be respectful and teachers should be unbiased in student-teacher friendships.