It’s no surprise that high school has been just what our teachers and parents have warned us about- workload, deadlines, late nights, multitasking, planning ahead, and feelings of stress- all for the glorification of a good grade on our report cards. Of course, there are many aspects within our school that make high school a more enjoyable time, but some students, even teachers, can’t help but be completely drained by their studies and workload.
Senior Lauren Gliebe said she feels like sometimes school takes more out of her than it should. “I think our teachers give us a lot of work and expect a lot out of us. However, this is all for the greater good, and they are just trying to test us to use our brains to the highest potential,” Gliebe said.
“I’ll stay up until about 1 to 2 a.m. at least once a week because of school work. Working at Skyline, I have no choice but to stay up late to get my work done. In fact, sometimes going to work away from the school atmosphere lets me clear my mind and focus on something else for a while. Another tactic I use to destressing my life is yoga. It helps me calm myself and find peace in all the chaos,” Gliebe added.
Students have proved to be consumed by their everyday, constant battle with balancing schoolwork and personal sanity. But are students the only ones affected? The answer is no. Teachers, along with students, sometimes succumb to the mental and physical roller coaster that is school.
In the science department is Mrs. Regina Goines, who is an advocate of science and whose love for it shines through in her teaching. It is no surprise that all the hard work that goes into her lesson plans sometimes is too much for her to handle mentally.
Goines lives a busy life just like everyone else. “When I’m stressed, I tend to freak out. I am terrible with handling my stress- I like to do things right and can sometimes come off a bit of a control freak,” Goines said.
Goines has ways to cope with this stress, however. Outside of school she likes to garden, quilt, cook, spend time with family, and read. Unfortunately, she can’t always use these mechanisms to ease her mind, because there seems to just be not enough time in the day.
Just a hallway up is Mr. Tim Monahan, history teacher and varsity basketball coach. He said he feels in terms of his mental wellbeing and balance with school and life, he agrees that it can be overwhelming. With a wife and kids waiting for him at home, it’s a never-ending cycle of doing his best, staying focused, and also being able to let loose and enjoy the little things in life.
“One of my all-time favorite things to do is spend time with my kids. Whether that be taking a trip to Kings Island, going to the park, or just spending quality family time together- I always try to fit time in,” Monahan said.
When he’s not teaching history or spending time with family, his is on the basketball court. Monahan has used his passion for sports to coach the Men’s Varsity Basketball Team for eight years.
“It’s great,” Monahan said. “It’s always been my dream to be able to coach at this school, ever since I played here when I was in high school.”
It’s no secret that Monahan is passionate about his work and coaching, as he has been involved since ’92 when he played on the same court. With all the responsibilities to fulfill, Monahan turns to deep breaths, long jogs, and a good night’s sleep to keep him going. Just like us, our teachers sometimes feel overwhelmed.
Teachers are real people just like students. Sometimes we forget that these walls surrounding us were not built for just us, but for those who help us thrive as well. Our teachers put in numerous hours dedicating their lives to our studies and to help us reach our fullest potential. One thing that was similar in terms of how these teachers and students feel is that there is a growing interest in making personal connections with each other, and finding out what really goes on outside of school in order to understand the way each other operates. Most students and teachers agree that if communication is involved and the problem is addressed, a great change can be made, and plans can be fulfilled to ease the anxiety and pressures of school and life itself.
The McNicholas Milestone 