Most students only see a small part of what teachers do each day, however, for Spanish and English teacher Hali Goodrich, the job starts early, moves quickly and rarely slows down.
“When I first get to school, my first reaction is ‘it’s crazy,’” Goodrich said. “It’s busy, and it goes by fast.”
Goodrich arrives at school at 7:00 a.m., and the day begins immediately. She checks emails, attends morning meetings, pulls up resources for the day ahead and reviews upcoming classes.
“My goal is for students to come to class and learn something. I keep that in mind every day,” Goodrich said.
Before students walk in the door, Goodrich is preparing. She opens the daily PowerPoint, pulls up any digital assignments and lays out supplies for activities. On Mondays and Fridays, she also updates her classroom boards.
Once classes begin, the pace doesn’t slow. Goodrich is always up and helping her students however she can.
“I’m always focusing on student engagement. I make sure my students are doing what’s asked but are also interested,” Goodrich said. “My goal is always rigor; I have high expectations that I hold them to.”
Her busiest days are B-days, when she teaches three Spanish II classes back-to-back.
“Those classes are large and rowdy,” she said. “I am constantly moving to help and give instructions, I call it ‘always on stage.’”
Goodrich spends her planning periods prepping lessons, answering emails, making PowerPoints, attending meetings and eating lunch.
“They go by super fast,” Goodrich said. “By the time I’m done making a PowerPoint, the next class is already coming in.”
At the end of the day, after students leave, she stays until about 3:30 p.m. to finish tasks from the day, sometimes this includes prep for the next morning. Finishing said tasks often entails making copies, cleaning up and making sure there are “no loose ends.” In the fall, Goodrich coaches soccer during the season and is rushing out to the field once the last bell rings.
Goodrich said that most students don’t realize how much of the job happens outside of teaching at the front of the room.
“Standing in front of the class teaching is just a third of the job,” Goodrich said. “There’s so much more behind the scenes.”
However, even on the busiest and most challenging days, Goodrich wouldn’t trade her job for anything.
“I just want my students to learn and understand what I’m teaching,” she said. “I would never trade it for a desk job. It’s super fun and gets more fun as the year goes on. I really like working with students.”
For Goodrich, teaching might be fast-paced and tiring, but it’s also what she lives for.
