How well do you really know your teachers? Are they just people who talk at you for 8 hours a day? What could they possibly do after school? Likewise the students. Isn’t their whole responsibility just to learn? Where are they getting their exhaustion and stress from?
In order to get the two groups of our beloved school population to understand each other better, we asked mirroring questions to both. With both student and teacher perspectives being provided, it was very intriguing to see how both groups view the others’ days. Exploring both sides of the story provided great insight and opened a lot of eyes.
The first topic: Grading. This is often an “unseen effort” from teachers that takes up many hours of their time and personal lives. It is a mental, emotional, and logistical challenge. Here’s how both students and teachers view it. The amount of time students think their teachers spend grading varies widely, with lower end guesses of 2 hours a week and higher end guesses at a whopping 7 hours per week outside of school. These estimates from students are surprisingly accurate. Some teachers prefer to grade in class, while others grade outside of school. Ms. Nelson said she grades around 4-6 hours per week, depending on the weeks’ workload. Of the teachers we polled, 45.5% of respondent teachers said their grading efforts were only somewhat appreciated and understood by their students.
While grading takes a significant portion of their time, it is not the only challenge teachers face. The lack of support both internal from the school system and external from the world is a big hardship many teachers face. Time management is another common answer. According to them, keeping track of everything going on in life while still providing students with everything they need to be successful is a tall task. Being timely in the grading department is a challenge almost all the teachers we talked to face.
Despite the many challenges teachers face, they still need to be able to communicate with students and collaborate effectively. What makes a great teacher according to the students we interviewed are things like not talking the whole class, including activities in the lessons and overall curriculum, and giving students time to complete the work. Some more personal qualities students value are being helpful, understanding, and organized. Exhibiting these qualities is what would make learning easier and more enjoyable according to the students we interviewed. We also did a poll exploring this topic, and over 90% of the students polled agree that teacher personality is important to creating a great classroom environment.
Even if efforts are made to create connections between teachers and students, there is a great amount both groups do not know about each other. For example, one student we talked to believes some of her teachers do not fully commit to their jobs and apply lackluster lesson plans that do not engage their students. Many teachers, like Mr. Beiler and Ms. Nelson, just wish that students knew that they truly care about their work and love what they do no matter what hardships come. Another example is from Mr. White, who simply wishes his students knew that he is a great dancer. His claim will be tested at homecoming. This disconnected dynamic goes the other way as well, as the students we interviewed wish their teacher knew things that are more personal about them, like the fact that they are athletes, fast learners, or the simple fact that they appreciate what their teachers do.
Once connections are established, often memories come next. The students we talked to said what makes a class memorable for them are things like the class activities, how well decorated and pleasant the overall vibe of the classroom is, and a teacher who opens up the mind and intrigues the students. That is just half the equation however, as following just those things is not enough for a memorable class. Simple human qualities like the people in the class and the real personality of the teacher are what truly complete the necessities.
The connection between teachers and students can definitely be stronger. Issues can easily arise on both sides. Teachers can do a better job connecting with their students and understanding that school is not the students’ only priority. Students should also give more grace to the teachers. The stress, time issues, and lack of support teachers face is a real issue. Likewise, the different priorities of students like sports, clubs, and a life outside of school are things in students’ lives that can be much more respected by teachers. Both groups are very valued in our school population, and seeing each other as people and not just random parts of everyday life can foster a much better relationship and school environment.
