Whom/How to ask for a college recommendation letter?

I disappointed a teacher who is writing my recommendation letter for college?

• I'm a senior in high school with a 4.0 cumulative GPA and I applied to my dream college and its Honors Program. In order to have a complete application and be considered, I need a recommendation letter from a teacher. The recommendation letter has to be submitted by January 31st, with no exceptions because it is so competitive. I decided to ask my favorite teacher (history teacher from last year) to write my recommendation letter for me. I am also the secretary of the National Honor Society, which she is the adviser for and when I passed out during school last year, she was extremely caring (I figured no teacher knows me better than her). I asked her if I could put her name down as a recommender three months ago, and I she agreed. I sent her every document she asked me to send her within one day of her request, answered any question she emailed to me right away (not regarding the recommendation letter, too), sent her a friendly reminder about the application two weeks ago, and thanked her in every email for taking time out of her busy schedule to write a letter for me. She is winning a national award on January 31st, and made it sort of like an after school field trip for her students. I signed up for attending the event on January 14th and permission slips were due on the 18th. However, due to snow, school was closed the entire week and the Monday after. I thought I was already too late to turn in the permission slip, so I didn't bother about it. I didn't plan on going because the finals schedule changed (due to the weather) and now finals start on February 1st. My teacher told me that she would upload my recommendation letter for me on January 27th for sure. However, when I check online, she hasn't started uploading it yet. I checked my school email, and she sent me a letter saying that she never heard back from me regarding the field trip, that the school was paying $50 for each student who signed up to attend the field trip and I would be wasting it, and said that she is "very disappointed that [I] committed to something [I] am not following through with". I am always responsible and I feel really bad about it. I wrote back to her immediately, explained why I didn't turn in my permission slip, and told her I would turn it in on Monday. I figured, I'll study on the bus for finals and bring all of my homework, too. I'm really worried that she didn't upload my recommendation letter when she said she would. Maybe she didn't upload it because she thought I wasn't following through on my word? I feel like my entire future is in her hands right now. I can't remind her again, because I already sent one two weeks ago. What should I do? She did say that she is still taking permission slips until 7:30am Monday morning. I'm think that when I go to visit her, I should pretend like I'm assuming she already uploaded my recommendation letter. I'll walk in, apologize once more, give her the permission slip, and congratulate her on her award. Then, I'll give her a thank you card for writing my recommendation letter, and when I give it to her, I'll be like, "Thank you so much for writing and uploading my recommendation letter last Friday...this is my dream school and it means a lot to me that you were so willing to help me out, despite your busy schedule". Maybe she'll upload it then? What if she doesn't upload it at all??

• Answer:

  for starters just be a little more calm. this is your teacher we are talking about they have a lot of character and would not try to stop a student from bettering themselves no matter how upset she is. shes probably just really busy getting ready for the finals and everything. No teacher is going to sabotage you over one small thing. youll be fine just talk to her when you get back to school