Students are not the only people who will do things to be labeled as one of the favorites.  Some instructors will go to great lengths so that they are thought of as being the favorite instructor.  Are you one of those instructors that will bend policies, give easy tests, do not assign homework, dismiss class early, allow students to be out of control in the classroom, allow students to get off of course topic and talk about personal issues, go to the students level, etc. so that your students will love you?  I am the type of instructor that will do what is best for the students so that they receive a quality education and become productive employees.  Being lenient on the student is not the attitude to have.  Make your students live up to very high standards?  We simply get from our students what  we expect.  It is okay not to be one of the favorites, but the students will remember you in the long run because you prepared them for the workplace.  Raise the bar...