Teachers, like students, spend hours of their time at school each day, and this work invades their personal time following school hours just as it does for students. Teachers have lives outside of school and do more than just plan lessons and teach during the day. 

The school day for teachers begins even before students arrive at school. Swim coach and math teacher Stephanie Carrasco detailed her schedule pertaining to school hours. “During off season…I get here between 6:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m.,  and then I leave here anywhere between 3:15 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. When I’m coaching, it’s different because I’m out at the pool until 4:30 p.m.,” said Carrasco. 

A teacher’s school day consists of more school hours than the majority of students, but this is not where their school work ends. Parallel to students, teachers have their own “homework,” consisting of lesson planning and grading done outside of school hours. 

Caroline Cook, a member of the special education department Caroline, dedicated hours of her time outside of the school day to this work– up to “five to 10 hours a week additional, outside of school hours,” Cook detailed.

Teachers also require time to unwind following a long school day. “First thing I do is put comfy clothes on, and then I usually sit and chill and go through social media and just try to decompress from the day,” Carrasco described. These after school activities mirror the habits of multitudes of students that likewise need time to relax after school.

Despite all of the time teachers routinely dedicate to school, both during and after school hours, they still maintain time to have lives and hobbies outside of just teaching.

Many of the teachers around campus devote much of their free time to their families. English and AP Art History teacher Shelley Lee prioritized spending time with her son. When describing her hobbies outside of school, Lee detailed, “I love visiting art museums, going to plays, reading books, and above anything else, I love spending time with my son.”

Additionally, Cook gave a prime example of her hobbies and how she prioritized her time beyond school work. “I make sure I get a work out in, I make dinner, spend time with my family…But then I also like to get out and play, have a good time, date nights with my husband every once in a while,” relayed Cook.

Despite the additional time that teachers spend each day at school as well as the time they have to spend outside of school hours dedicated to school work, they still maintain lifestyles similar to students and have hobbies and interests to pursue.