By: Medha Garapati and Inaaya Yunus
We have a diverse teacher-student dynamic here at EVHS. With such a unique population with different backgrounds at EVHS it is inevitable as a teacher to please all your students and students cannot please all their teachers.
Everyone has favorites, teachers try to say they don’t but students all know that they secretly do. But on the flip side, so do students. When asked about her favorite period, Mrs. Avalos, a Spanish 2 teacher says that “Personally I enjoy all of my different periods because they are receptive to learning and they try, and that's really what I ask of them.” But on the other hand Mrs.Kuch, a psychology teacher says that her favorite period is her third period psychology class because there is no topic that is off limits, and she enjoys talking to everyone of different types of backgrounds. Other teachers interviewed go on to say that they enjoy the periods that they joke around but they are still responsible.
There is something that everyone wishes some teachers would do differently and vice versa. When asked, an anonymous sophomore states that they wish that their teachers would sometimes ask the students if they need more help. It can be very scary for a student to come out in front of the entire class to ask a question as there is a whole inner monologue of in
securities. Another anonymous sophomore says that she would appreciate it if the teacher spent more one-on-one time with the students, making sure that they understand everything. In a large class setting it may not be possible, but the learning lounge is open before and after school to ask some of your teachers for personal help.
When asked what students should do differently, Mrs.Kuch repeatedly warns “Don’t take too many AP classes”. She really wishes the students wouldn’t stress themselves with so many AP classes when at the end of the day; they are probably going to have to take them again in college.
Mr.Omweg, an English teacher says “Just say hi, if a teacher’s in there just say hi. You don’t have to get into a whole conversation, but just acknowledge other people's presence. It just creates a more welcoming, positive environment”. If you ever need to get to know someone all you need to start with a simple Hi, there is not much to it but it can make someone feel welcome. This can also help build your relationships and connections in high school.
At EVHS there is an immense emphasis on grades, both teacher and students are aware of this pattern. Many students in our school exclude a large part of their social life just to study and get good grades. But it may not necessarily be worth all the effort as Mrs.G a math t
eacher says “ Enjoy [highschool], don't stress out too much… If your health is in jeopardy just stop and just take a breath, and don't stress out too much”. Grades may seem important to high school students in a few years, but they may not matter as much in the future as students think.Even pulling an all-nighter for a test may not be worth it as many teachers recommend that a good night's sleep is worth more than any of the knowledge that you gain from studying.
As grades play an increasingly important role in a students life, many teachers try their hardest to make it possible for their students to pass. They're also trying to make sure that students will have enough knowledge to continue to the next level. Mrs. Avalos says “ We try to get grades to reflect students' effort and understanding and knowledge of the content…But if I were to grade solely on effort it would be a disservice to my students because when they get to the next level they might not feel comfortable”.
Many teachers at EV want their students to have good grades but there needs to be a balance between a participation grade and the grade for understanding the content. When asked if he thinks students' grades reflect his ability to teach, Mr. Omweg says “I have some students who I think would do great no matter what I do. And then there are some students
who don’t succeed even when I try to give them all the opportunities. But there is a lot on me in terms of how I design my lessons and how I evaluate student work, so I would say it's both sides.”
Spending more time with our teachers than probably our parents. They play an enormous role in our highschool life. They interact with us, teach us, joke with us, and understand us. Many of the teachers interviewed have given words of wisdom to get some students through high school.
Mrs.Pongol (Chemistry) - “Value of not procrastinating because students tend to do that. Right now they don't see the value of doing what should be done immediately so they try to wait. ”
Mrs.Kuch (Psychology) - “Relax, It's okay to put everything down and you don't have to multitask so stop trying to do five classes of homework during say My ap psych class, that's what I wish you know. Focus on one thing at a time instead of trying to do five things at once. We're human, we can only do so much.”
Ms.Miao (Computer Science) - When they feel like they(you) are struggling and they(you) feel like it is hopeless, it’s not true.”
Mr.Omweg (English) - “ That the knowledge that you acquire from your classes is kind of important. It could be very important for some jobs or careers or futures. The social practices that you have opportunities to use in class, to work with other people, to work with like your supervisor, or your teacher, to ask questions, to express your understanding, those are actually maybe underestimated, the value of that. Even engineers will need to work as part of a team later on and it will be really important to be able to cultivate good working relationships, so don't underestimate the social value of going to class and participating.”
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