Whether a person is in college, night school, or high school, there will be times when it appears that a certain teacher is causing the student some special problems. There may be a personality conflict at the root of things, or occasionally one student runs into trouble because a sibling has preceded them in school and also had problems with that same teacher. No matter what the cause of difficulty is, the student needs to work out the situation to a good ending.
Try these tips for resolution:

1. Identify that there is a problem.

2. Try to determine what is really causing the trouble. Is it the student, the teacher or some outside influence?

3. Think of ways to mitigate any conflict. Consult with a trusted friend or counselor for ideas.

4. Get an appointment to discuss this matter with the teacher.

5. Don't even dream of trying to change anyone; a person can only control one's own actions and reactions to a situation, not those of any other person.

6. Recognize this as a serious situation that can affect the college career; it must be handled properly and resolved.

At college level, grades are too important to allow a personality conflict to disrupt grading. The student should go talk things over in a calm manner with the teacher. Mention that grades and learning are extremely important and that something is interfering with the process. Perhaps the teacher has also been feeling some stress in the relationship and they may also have some ideas of how to relate in a more positive manner. Continue to develop and maintain a relationship with the difficult teacher. It may look fruitless, but some of the most difficult teachers can actually become a favorite teacher in the end.

Do not go in with an angry, accusative attitude. Be pleasant, courteous and polite. Act like an adult to be treated as an adult. Consider this problem to be part of the education and college experience. There will be many people in the future that will fall into a category of "difficult" people to work with, but it will be necessary to deal with problem people in all walks of life. Look at dealing with a difficult teacher as a college training course in learning to deal later on with a difficult boss or co-workers. It would be beneficial for the student to do some extra reading about managing difficult relationships, especially when there is an unequal balance of power, as there is with a teacher or boss.

If a solution cannot be worked out, it would be in the best interest of a student to change classes to another teacher, if possible. Parents of college level students should allow the student to handle problems with a difficult teacher; it will be an important lesson for their student to learn.