I asked Miss. Nativio, and Miss. Young some questions about their daily lives like what they do in the school day, or weekends, and some review questions. They are very much loved teachers but lets see how they maybe run through there day a bit differently!
Before Students Arrive-
What time do you usually get to school, and why?
Ms. Young- She arrives at school around 7:10-7:15 AM so she has quiet time to prepare before students arrive. Having time alone helps her start the day calmly and stay organized.
Ms. Nativio- She arrives around 7:20 -7:25 AM since teachers are required to be in their classrooms by 7:30.
What do you do to prepare before students come in?
Ms. Young- She turns on her string lights and fish tank, feeds the fish, updates her calendar, and organizes students work by grade. She also makes sure supplies like pencils and paper are stocked and the classroom is clean
Ms. Nativio- She prepares lessons the night before so mornings are focused on, starting announcements, and taking attendance.
How do you plan lessons with teachers?
Ms. Young- As a learning support teacher, she works with other teachers to plan lessons each week. However, plans often change depending on how well students understand the material, absences, or other unexpected issues.
Ms. Nativio – She regularly works with other math teachers to align lessons. Since math builds on previous courses, they coordinate to make sure students are prepared for future classes like Pre-calculus.
Do you ever change your school plans last minute? Why?
Ms. Young – Yes, she changed plans often because unexpected things happen, like teacher absences or lessons taking longer than expected. Teachers have to be flexible to adjust quickly.
Ms. Nativio – Yes, often. She adjusts pans due to things like fire drills, low attendance, or students not understanding the material. Being flexible is very important.
What is the most important part of your routine?
Ms. Young – Taking care of herself is the most important part. She tries to drink her coffee, eat meals, and take a few moments for herself so she doesn’t because exhausted or overwhelmed.
Ms. Nativio – Planning ahead the night before is most important because it helps her feel prepared and ready to teach.
During the School Day-
How do you handle unexpected problems during the day?
Ms. Young – When problems happen, she focuses on solving them and moving forward rather than letting them ruin the rest of the day.
Ms. Nativio – She stays flexible and uses support from coworkers, administrators, and staff to solve problems quickly.
Is the work day pretty stressful, is it just on specific days? If so, which days?
Ms. Young – Some days are more stressful than others, especially when school breaks are coming up because students tend to be more distracted and energetic.
Ms. Nativio – She usually is not very stressed during the day. Most stress comes from preparing lessons and grading outside of school hours.
After Students Leave-
What do you usually do after the school day ends?
Ms. Young – After students leave, she reviews the day, prepared for the next day, grades work, and answers emails. She usually leaves around 3:30-4:00 PM and also helps coach the girls varsity softball team.
Ms. Nativio – She often coaches sports (like softball), offers extra help to students after school, or uses free days to catch up on work.
How much time do you spend grading or responding to emails?
Ms. Young – She usually responds to emails right away so she doesn’t forget. Grading is normally done during her prep period the day after the assignments or tests are given.
Ms. Nativio – she spends a few hours per week grading and tries to stay caught up by grading work as it’s turned in.
Do you usually attend meetings or school events after hours
Ms. Young– She attends some meetings like board or coaching meetings and enjoys going to school events, such as sports games, concerts, and musicals to support her students.
Ms. Nativio – Yes, she enjoys going to school events and supporting students in activities outside the classroom.
Whats the hardest part of your job after students leave?
Ms. Young- The hardest part is thinking about everything that happened during the day, including students personal struggles and behavior issues.
Ms. Nativio – The hardest part is stopping work and not bringing it home, since there is always more to do.
Weekends-
Do you take work home on weekends?
Ms. Young- She tries not to take work home so she can spend time with family and friends. Sometimes she works on writing IEPs because they require quiet time and focus.
Ms. Nativio – Yes, she usually brings work home, especially grading tests and planning lessons for the next week.
How long do you usually spend planning or grading on weekends?
Ms. Young – If she does work on weekends, she fits it around her personal plans rather than cancelling plans to do school work.
Ms. Nativio – It varies sometimes 4-5 hours or even a full Saturday, but other weekends she does little to no work.
Are you weekends filled up with your job?
Ms. Young – No, she keeps weekends mostly free from work. She only responds to urgent matters and prefers to handle most things during the School week.
Ms. Nativio – No, she still makes time for family and friends and tries to relax, especially on Sundays.
How do you balance work and personal time?
Ms. Young – She tries to make time for hobbies like reading, working out, cooking, and spending time with friends. She also plans activities on weekends to relax and recharge.
Ms. Nativio – She tries to leave work at school and not stress about unfinished tasks, which helps her enjoy her personal time more.
Review Questions-
Whats one thing students would be surprised to learn about you?
Ms. Young – Students might be surprised that she did not like school growing up, even though she always enjoyed learning and helping others.
Ms. Nativio – Students might be surprised that she was not great at school and only really enjoyed math.
Whats the most rewarding part of being a teacher?
Ms. Young – The most rewarding part is seeing students grow academically and personally and knowing she made a positive impact on their lives.
Ms. Nativio – The most rewarding part is building connections with students and helping them grow.
What keeps you motivated?
Ms. Young – Her students motivate her. Seeing them improve and reach their goals encourages her to keep helping them.
Ms. Nativio – Her students motivate her, helping even one student each day is a success.
If you could change one thing about your work life, what would it be?
Ms. Young – She wishes she had more time to build stronger connections with other teachers during the School day.
Ms. Nativio – She wouldn’t change much because she loves teaching, but wishes everyone enjoys math as much as she does.
