Teachers play a monumental role in students’ lives. They are often seen as a reliable role model and a mentor in school. Teachers don’t just come to school to just teach; but rather, to guide students into becoming great people, which can be a hard task. There is a lot more to being a teacher than just teaching. Work and time not only go into creating worksheets and grading homework but also how students turn out in the long run.
Most students don’t understand how much goes into a lesson plan. It takes planning and time to make sure that each question being asked will benefit the students and cover the unit. Some teachers make their own worksheets and note packets which can be a lot of work.
“A lot goes into lesson planning; there are a lot of conversations we have to have with one another about what we see is most important for our kids and what addresses the standards that we need to cover,” WHS math teacher Zachary Okolowitcz said.
Not only do they have to create the lessons but also review the material. English teachers have to often re-read books and quotes and pick out important parts. Some classes need help with certain skills while others don’t, therefore teachers have to find the best way to support different classes and all kinds of students.
“A lot of what I think the planning looks like is like teachers reading or rereading books; pulling out pieces that are interesting. Trying to find outside materials that might be engaging for kids and relevant to kids, and we have to do a lot of practicing ourselves to make sure we are up to date on the stuff we have to know” WHS English teacher Patty Williamson said.
Another aspect students often fail to recognize is, just like them, teachers also have lives outside of school. Many teachers aim to be as productive as possible during school by utilizing prep periods. Teachers try not to bring grading home. However, balancing work and personal lives can be very difficult.
“I just have to be productive when I am at school because when I get home little people need me so it’s hard to get a lot done. I would say I bring home work at least once a term where I just have to grade a lot,” WHS history teacher Gillian Hogan said.
Additionally, when students are on break teachers are too. Teachers commonly have to pick up another job during the summer to create a flow income throughout the year and not just during school time. It can be a misconception that summer for teachers is like a break.
“I have worked at restaurants, I have mowed lawns, painted houses, just all kinds of things. It is not the summer off type things a lot of people have a misconception of, and also how much time outside our school day is spent on getting stuff ready. Whether it’s grading, prepping new lessons, organizing material, doing that stuff that all happened whether before or after the first and last bell of the day,” WHS science teacher William O’Malley said.
Another significant aspect regarding teaching is student and teacher relationships. It’s so rewarding for teachers to see students overcoming hardship in class. Most students don’t understand how much teachers really want them to succeed.
“I think for the most part It would be really helpful if kids could understand that their teachers are really here to help them and to help them learn and grow; that we really all are on the same team. I think that would be very important for every kid to know,” Williamson said.
Students often see teachers as role models and figures of authority. However, there is a lot more that goes into being a teacher. Overall, teachers want the very best for their students, and they go out of their way to complete the many hard tasks their job presents. It’s very important to recognize all that teachers do because at the end of the day, they are the ones teaching our future generation.
