For most high school students, the day starts at around 6 a.m. As they walk into school they are greeted by teachers. But, while their days are just starting, the ‘workday’ for Mrs. Meyers has already begun.
While the sun is still down, Mrs. Meyers exercises, gets ready for the day and arrives at school at around 6:30 a.m. It’s a tiring schedule that shows a reality students often overlook: their teachers are busy people too.
Students probably think a teacher’s workday ends at the final bell just like theirs, but in reality, a lot of the work that goes into being a teacher is done outside of the classroom after school hours.
“I honestly would say half of my job is done out of class,” Meyers said, noticing that she logs an additional hour of work at home daily, plus 4-6 hours on the weekend. “During the school day I try to teach, so all of the planning and grading is done at home.”
Mrs. Meyers’ morning routine consists of logging onto Canvas making sure all of her assignments are published and ready to go for when her students arrive. After students have left for the day, she continues working. Not just on her class, but also on a business club called DECA until 3-4:30 p.m.
Beyond the administrative part of Mrs. Meyers’ job there’s a psychological component to her job. While many students leave the stress of assignments at the door, teachers tend to worry about their students’ progress.
The primary motivator for Meyers is seeing the growth and development of her students. “I love being part of their journey and watching them gain confidence in themselves.” she said. It goes beyond a gradebook and is fueled by the hope that students will apply what they learn in the classroom to the outside world.
However, the profession is facing some pressure from challenges. Between tighter district budgets, and new state interventions like the new cellphone law, schools are put in tough positions.
To balance all of her time she relies on time blocking, a productivity technique used to separate her professional obligations from her personal life. For her, setting boundaries is important to maintaining her well-being, and time with her husband. “I also have learned when it’s time to hang out with my husband, I put my phone away so I can’t see the emails,” she said.
Ultimately, the gap between student perception and teacher reality can go over a lot easier with simple communication. Meyers emphasized that accountability and high standards are not qualities of “being mean”, but a recognition of a student’s potential.
“Respect goes both ways,” Meyers said. “You have to talk to teachers, tell them what’s going on, are you struggling, why are you struggling, etc. We are here to support you!”
