You enter a classroom, you sit down, and you prepare to learn. A person stands or sits and starts teaching. But do you ever wonder who is teaching you? You worry about your struggles and problems– but what about theirs? As students we tend to forget that teachers have lives outside the classroom. We don’t stop to think that maybe they are having a bad day, or maybe they are just tired like us. Do we ever question what they go through? Their daily struggles? Or even how their day is going? Who is this person behind that desk? I decided to ask three teachers: Mr. Forst, Mrs. Genardo, and Mr. Spreadbury.

We all have daily struggles–even teachers. What sort?

Mr. Forst: The balance of being a teacher, being a counselor for students who need emotional help, as well as trying to balance extracurriculars, as well as being a parent.

Mrs. Genardo: Being on task. I don’t think kids realize how much preparation we have to do. When we teach you a lesson, that lesson is intricately planned down to every detail. I don’t think kids have a full understanding of how much planning it takes. It is a very challenging job that takes a tremendous amount of work. The amount of work that we bring home with us. It is also an incredibly rewarding career. No day is ever the same.

Mr. Spreadbury: Making sure that we have lessons that engage the students so they are not bored but have educational value.

What makes one teacher better than the rest?

Mr. Forst: A good teacher is finding that balance and understanding the students.

Mrs. Genardo: You have to like working with kids and that age group. To listen and to have fun with them.

Mr. Spreadbury: Being very flexible and being able to adapt to different situations. Every day is very different. And being a very good decision maker because you make many decisions throughout the day.

Being a teacher is challenging but more rewarding than most students realize. The next time that you’re mad at your teacher, think about the struggles they may be going through.