Teachers

Speaker: Finn

Do you have a favorite teacher?

Yeah, probably my high school history teacher, Mr. Carter. He had this habit of starting every lesson with some random story from history before actually getting into the textbook, so you never quite knew what you were going to get. I wasn’t particularly interested in history before his class, but he somehow made it really entertaining.

Do you remember your primary school teachers?

Yeah, I remember quite a few of them, actually. My primary school math teacher, Mrs. Wilson, stands out because she used to give us these little puzzles at the end of class if we finished our work early. I was really into those, so I still remember her pretty clearly.

Did you ever have a teacher you didn’t like? Why?

Yeah, there was one English teacher I didn’t particularly like. He was very serious and would sometimes interrupt you halfway through an answer if you made a mistake, which made me nervous about speaking in class. I’m sure he meant well, but I never really felt comfortable around him.

Have you ever had a teacher who influenced you a lot?

Not really, no. I mean, I had some good teachers, but I can’t say any of them had a huge influence on me outside of school. I mostly just remember the ones who made their classes enjoyable, rather than anyone who really changed the way I think or what I wanted to do.

What kind of teacher do you prefer?

I like teachers who are fairly relaxed but still know how to keep a class under control. I don’t mind a teacher being strict when they need to be, but I wouldn’t want someone who’s constantly checking whether you’re doing everything exactly right. I tend to learn better when I have a bit of freedom.

What qualities do you think a good teacher should have?

I’d say patience is probably the biggest one. Some students will understand something straight away, while others might need to hear the same explanation three or four times. I also think a good teacher needs a sense of humor. If a teacher can make you laugh occasionally, it makes a long class feel a lot shorter.

Do you think being a teacher is a difficult job?

Yeah, I think it’s much harder than it looks from the outside. When I was at school, I used to think teachers just showed up, taught for an hour, and went home. Now that I’m older, I realize there’s probably a huge amount of planning and marking that students never see. And having to deal with thirty teenagers at once can’t exactly be easy.

Do you want to be a teacher in the future?

Not really, no. I actually enjoy explaining things to people, but I don’t think I’d enjoy doing it with a whole classroom every day. I’d probably get more satisfaction from working on my own projects and having a bit more control over my schedule. So teaching isn’t really on my list of career options.

---

Speaker: Blondie

Do you have a favorite teacher?

Yeah, definitely. My high school English teacher, Ms. Davies, instantly comes to mind. She was just really down-to-earth and easy to talk to. Instead of just talking at us for an hour, she’d turn every lesson into a proper discussion where we could actually speak our minds. She just made you feel like what you had to say actually mattered, you know?

Do you remember your primary school teachers?

Vaguely, yeah. It’s mostly random memories, to be honest. I do remember my Year 3 teacher, Mr. Harrison, though, mostly because he’d bring his guitar into class every Friday afternoon and play music with us. I couldn’t tell you a single lesson we did back then, but I definitely remember how fun he made the classroom feel.

Did you ever have a teacher you didn’t like? Why?

Yeah, I had this math teacher in middle school who was really harsh. If you got a question wrong, he’d call you out in front of the whole class, which was just awful when you were twelve or thirteen. Everyone was basically walking on eggshells the entire period, so nobody ever wanted to raise their hand. It just totally ruined math for me.

Have you ever had a teacher who influenced you a lot?

Yeah, my high school art teacher had a huge impact on me. I used to be such a perfectionist and would stress out completely if a drawing didn’t turn out right. She really helped me chill out and showed me that making mistakes is just part of the process. That mindset actually stuck with me way beyond school, to be honest.

What kind of teacher do you prefer?

I’ve always done way better with teachers who are chill and easy to talk to, rather than super strict ones. If a teacher is approachable, you don’t feel like an idiot when you need to ask a question or if you don’t get something the first time around. Plus, when they’re actually into what they’re teaching, it just makes the whole class so much more engaging.

What qualities do you think a good teacher should have?

Patience is huge, for sure. Everyone learns at totally different speeds, so you can’t just have a one-size-fits-all approach. Being able to break down hard concepts into plain English is another big one. But honestly, I think just genuinely caring about the students as people makes the biggest difference.

Do you think being a teacher is a difficult job?

100%. Honestly, I think it’s one of the hardest jobs out there. It’s not just teaching the material—you’re basically managing thirty different personalities, dealing with piles of paperwork, and probably taking a lot of that stress home with you at the end of the day. It’s a lot to handle, and they definitely don’t get enough credit for it.

Do you want to be a teacher in the future?

Oh, definitely not! I mean, I have so much respect for what they do, but I just don’t have the patience for it. Standing in front of thirty kids all day and trying to keep their attention sounds absolutely exhausting. I’m definitely more of a behind-the-scenes person.