Teachers are, of course, the most important part of any class. A good teacher can not only convey information, but instill interest and curiosity in their students. In other words, the teacher can make or break the class, and certain teachers have developed a reputation for being chill. While students may not even enjoy the subjects they teach, but appreciate the relaxed nature of the class.
Creative writing teacher Sonja Curry-Johnson maintains a relaxed nature for her classes.
“I care much more about what they learn than what their actual grades are,” Curry-Johnson said.
“Chill” can be a difficult word to define. What one student likes in a teacher another student may dislike.
“It differs from person to person,” Curry-Johnson said. “I’m not the same person as any of my colleagues are, and I don’t relate to students in the same way, but those of us who care relate to students in the way that fits our personality. And sometimes it clicks, and you like [the teacher] when it clicks.”
Fashion marketing teacher Ericka Symonette said that she wants her class to be a fun, interactive environment with lots of collaboration.
“This is school, and I think that school is very important, but a lot of the things happening here aren’t life or death,” Symonette said. “If you fail a test, it isn’t the end of the world. I try to keep that in perspective.”
However, just because the teacher is easygoing does not mean the class is a joke.
“When I’m teaching you about marketing, it goes beyond trying to pass a test in marketing class, it goes to trying to be a better consumer when you’re an adult,” marketing teacher Melvin Morgan said. “To be able to take those math skills into your adulthood and figure out something when you might need it.”
Teachers sometimes follow the example of one of their own teachers in high school or college.
“I think the teachers who have the best relationships with their students have the best environments,” Symonette said. “One of my English teachers was super funny; she always used humor in the classroom. It really made the day so much better. One of my history teachers, she was very strict, but she was very challenging in a good way. They had good relationships with students.”
Mood and passion both have significant effects on the way teachers instruct their students.
“The day I come into school in a bad mood every day is the day I quit,” Morgan said.