A day in the life of a teacher

ARt AND WRItING by SAbRINA Lo

It’s not uncommon to see students villainizing their teachers, blaming them for the demise of their mental health. It may be true that students’ homework loads are quite significant and that school is a large contributor to the worsening of student mental health. However, school can also be difficult for teachers to handle, too. Teachers have their own stresses and personal matters outside of their job, just like students do. Ryan Chun, a math teacher at Carlmont, discusses what his typical weekday looks like.

“I dedicate most of my week to working. On top of the work that I do on campus, I also prepare at home. I think that it can be similar to the amount of time students dedicate to school, but I am on the opposite end. Instead of preparing for exams, I am making them,” Chun said.

6:50 a.m.

Chun wakes up, quickly gets ready, and heads out the door within 10 minutes to get an early start on the school day. Until zero period starts, he uses his time to plan his lessons. Making new quizzes, tests, and lessons; answering emails; and printing copies of math worksheets are all things he has to work on in order to be prepared to teach his students.

8:00 a.m.

Once all his students file into class, the teaching commences. Chun teaches zero to fifth period. In between the hustle of lectures and passing periods, he squeezes in spurts of email replies, prints photocopies, and takes notes on his lessons for improvements for the next year.

4:15 p.m.

When Chun gets home after a hectic day at work, he winds down by exercising, playing with his dog Coconut, cooking a meal, and relaxing. For everyone, no matter how busy their day is, it’s very crucial for individuals to find time for themselves to do things they want in order to maintain mental well-being.

7:30 p.m.

After taking some time for himself, Chun gets back to work. He continues with his prep work and emails to finish up what was not completed during the school day. This can add around two hours of extra work in the evening for Chun.

Finally, it is time for bed. Wrapping up an exhausting day, Chun goes to sleep around midnight and starts the cycle all over again seven hours later.

12:o0 a.m.