June 5, 2018

Late assignment deadlines, AP and State testing, and extra credit opportunities…*sigh* it must be near the end of school. Yes, May and June can be very stressful months for students, but they can be just as stressful for teachers. With so many final grades soon to be assigned, teachers are working hard within the last couple weeks of school to make sure everything is graded, returned, and entered into the grade book. These are daunting tasks in and of themselves, however, add to that all the annoying slack they get from students, and one could understand why teachers so desperately long for summer too.

It’s easy to understand the struggle of a student in these last few weeks of school: finals, making up late work, trying to complete any bit of extra credit to get those grades up, etc. but could these things be adding more stress to our teachers?

“I can’t speak for other teachers, but my job involves more than teaching and grading papers. I work for students in several capacities, so sometimes I have to prioritize a bit differently to complete all of my tasks on time,” said English teacher Katherine Miller, “I think it’s also unfair for students to expect grades to be updated almost instantaneously–technology is great, but all of the effort that goes into grading means that assignment may not have a score right away.”

Maybe it’s the lack of understanding from students that makes it so easy to pile on to a teacher’s stress load, or maybe it’s just an apathetic attitude toward teachers in general and what they do. Whatever it is, it’s clear that there is some disconnect between the two groups.

“I definitely procrastinate on homework and feel bad for turning it in at the last minute but if they allow students to turn their work in late I don’t think they should show that they are irritated,” said Senior Alicia Hodgson, “ I feel like anything we do annoys them especially at this point in the year.”

While both sides have strong feelings about this time of year, there’s still no denying that our actions as students do have some effect on our teachers. With the last couple weeks of school, it’s important to find ways to relieve teachers of the added stress now and for semesters to come.

“Students should actively participate in and take charge of their own learning,” said Miller. “Do the extra credit when it’s offered instead of hoping for a last chance in June. Build good relationships with your classmates so that you can help each other out when you’re gone or when there’s a big test coming up. Ask questions when you don’t understand something.”

Although the relationship between teachers and students can be strained during this time of year, it’s important to note that we all just want the same thing: a break! Often times, students may forget that teachers want it to be summer too.

“When life gets hectic we often neglect self-care, and teachers are no exception,” said Miller, “I appreciate having some time during the summer to rest and recharge for the next school year.”

So with summer fast approaching, remember to give your teachers a little break, push yourself to finish everything on time, and get ready to enjoy some well-deserved time off.