For many students, a day at school with their parents consists of a drop off at 7:00 a.m. and a pick up at 3:25 p.m. Meanwhile, students with parents as teachers can expect to accompany each other during those eight hours. What is it like to have a parent at school from sunrise to sundown every day?
Sophomore Hannah Drone is the daughter of Spanish teacher Martha Drone. Hannah shares how people knew her from the get-go coming into Miege due to having a parent as a teacher.
“Everyone immediately knew me,” Hannah said. “You don’t have to introduce yourself to people. I usually to a certain degree have to keep up with high standards and be on top of everything since she is constantly in the loop.”
Alongside Hannah having her mom coming into high school, she also had her senior brother Jacob Drone who got her involved in school activities.
”He [Jacob] puts me in herd games a lot when there is empty or a funny main herd game,” Hannah said. “I think so far I have been in 2 or 3 times, and it makes for a fun family topic at home.”
The Drones are not the only family cooped up throughout the school day. Another pair of siblings, senior Lili and freshman Luci Switzer spend the day with their mother and English teacher Jessica Switzer. The sisters appreciate some perks that come with a mother working in the building, including a personal source of comfort.
“Sometimes if I need a hug or just a break from whatever is going on I can come to her room,” Luci said. “If I am having a bad day, she doesn’t ask questions and is there for me. Then after school, if I am still having a tough time, I can go talk to her.”
Lili expresses how having her mom as a teacher is convenient, specifically when it comes to English help.
“My mom has a plan period in the morning, so It is easy to ask her to grab something from home if I forget,” Lili said. “She is also always here if I need to contact someone or get things signed, but what I like the most is that she grades my essays for me. I can get help on my work before turning it in.”
While having a parent as a teacher has benefits, Senior Owen Carman speaks on how having his mom work in the school forces him to grow a thick skin when facing potential judgment.
“If you care too much about what others think, it can be a little embarrassing at times,” Carman said. “But if you don’t let it bother you, then it’s nothing to stress about.”
Owen’s mother is one of three counselors and was previously a math teacher. Having worked at the school for a few years, the two have had unique experiences, including a car incident.
“One time freshman year I walked to her math class at the end of the day and she was talking to a cop,” Owen said. “Then she goes, “Oh, a senior sideswiped our car in the parking lot.” It was just very ironic to deal with together at school and not a situation many kids would have happened.”
The students mentioned are a part of a larger collection of kids with faculty member parents. Many different students come from a variety of backgrounds, so here is the scoop into the daily lives of these teacher’s kids.
