What Every High School Teacher Needs to Know

(From High School Students)

1.     Students will try to test you because of your “lack of experience” – just be yourself, maintain honesty, and remember that not everyone is going to like you, but that isn’t what is important.

2.     You can share your faith and/or belief. Don’t fear that!

3.     We hate to do work and get distracted easily.

4.     We like to party.

5.     High schoolers are lazy and hate to be pushed, but sometimes it’s necessary.

6.     Treat us as if we were adults. Be nice but not lenient.

7.     Homework every night makes getting everything completed really difficult.

8.     Don’t teach something you don’t know well.

9.     High school students have the attention-span of squirrels with ADHD. Be patient.

10.  High school students react well to humor.

11.  Don’t show them you are nervous, or they will eat you alive!

12.  High school kids deal with a lot.

13.  Accept all students.

14.  We are all different and think differently.

15.  We’re crazy, ha, we stretch the limits. Just put your foot down.

16.  Make sure that all of your students are on the same level of awareness in class.

17.  High schoolers are lazy.

18.  Make yourself totally approachable.

19.  Don’t hate your students. Get to know them.

20.  Keep your cool.

21.  It’s DRAMA! Junior year is the hardest and probably most stressful year.

22.  Don’t be a pushover, but don’t be too strict either.

23.  Students have a lot of work in other classes and a lot of extracurricular activities, so don’t give a lot of work every night.

24.  We are big kids that have brains, but choose not to use them.

25.  Every teacher should know students care, even though we might not show we do.

26.  Let us know you are in charge, but be relaxed.

27.  Don’t give assigned seats…it makes us dislike you.

28.  Teach the good stuff. You were a kid once. You know what affected you, so it’s a good idea to keep that in mind.

29.  Every teacher should know we are teenagers. We have other activities and hobbies other than school.

30.  Don’t be over-controlling of your students.

31. Don’t make students feel dumb.

32.  Be prepared to be yourself.

33.  I don’t know if this is true for everyone, but for me even if I’m not interested in the subject, if the teacher is awesome, I will try my best.

34.  Don’t lose your personality like most teachers eventually do.

35.  Don’t assign seats (unless it’s way out of hand). Students will rebel and not like you.

36.  Students are extremely manipulating.

37.  Don’t believe everything students say.

38.  Don’t spend too much time on one thing.

39.  Even if you are “hard/mean,” it will only benefit kids in the long run.

40.  High school students are buckwild! So you have to match their intensity.

41.  We hate teachers who are intimidating.

42.  Students are EVIL!!!

43.  Students don’t behave.

44.  You have to make things interesting, or you will lose the attention of people.

45.  Be prepared for attitude. They think they know everything.