For some students, a teacher might become more than just a person standing at the front of the room. It might not happen during a big, dramatic speech or a life-changing lesson. Sometimes, it just happens in the smallest, most unexpected ways, like a quick “Are you okay?” after class or a joke that somehow makes a stressful day feel lighter.
“You just have their classes so many times, you just make a connection with them and then that connection kind of sticks,” sophomore Brooklyn Train said.
For most students, school is a mix of deadlines, group projects, and trying not to fall asleep during class. Teachers can sometimes seem like a part of that: people who assign homework, give tests, and remind you that the assignment was due last week. Over time, things can start to shift; teachers can notice more than just grades. Some teachers remember the little things: what sport you play, what you’re struggling with, or even when you seem quieter than usual. Those small moments are often remembered and can be more meaningful to students than test scores.
“Oftentimes I tell a personal story and a student agrees and says ‘me too,’ and we bond,” science teacher Shana Hains said. “I hope to tell a story that touches. I try to be observant and talk to people about something other than academics.”
Connections like these can go deeper than just jokes and casual conversations. For many students, teachers become a source of support during difficult times. Whether it’s stress from school, problems at home, or just feeling overwhelmed. Having someone who listens can make a huge difference. Even though they might not have a solution to all your problems, having someone who just sits there and listens can be more than enough.
It’s easy to underestimate how powerful that kind of support can be. A few encouraging words, some help after class, or believing in a student can change the way they see themselves. Over time, these connections can lead teachers and students
to keep checking in with each other.
“I have a couple of students, we always kind of laugh, and they call me the velcro teacher. They always seem to go away and then come back, they’re always attached,” child development teacher Shea Bender said, “Whether that’s checking in first thing in the morning or popping by at lunch just to make sure I’m here.”
At the same time, students can also shape teachers in ways that aren’t always obvious. Even though teachers are the ones “teaching,” that doesn’t mean students can’t teach them something new.
Classrooms aren’t just a place where lessons are taught, but also a place that can be filled with laughter, jokes, and many memories. Even though students move on to the next grade, and teachers get new students, oftentimes it’s not the assignments or tests they remember. It’s the people.
“If you look up the word teacher in the dictionary, it says ‘transfer knowledge’, but in reality, we create great humans,” Hains said.
In the end, the connections between teachers and students aren’t built in one big moment. It’s built slowly, through everyday interactions, understanding each other, and some humor. Because the impact of a good teacher can remain even after the lessons are forgotten.
