The first day of school can be the most memorable event in a student’s year. They enter a new community, it is a brand new experience, and they are introduced to new knowledge. Teachers often play a significant role in students introductions to school. They can even be perceived as more than just teachers. A teacher can be a student’s biggest fear or a student’s most trusted support system. Either way, all students need them to guide them through classes and teach them how to succeed in life.

In order to ensure a students success, they go out of their way to prepare the students not just for class but also for the real world, “I talk to you about other things, and I am trying to make you be good young people, even you don’t remember the science that I teach you.” Heather Mulligan answered.

So, what is in it for the teachers?

Many times, students do not realize they want to be teachers until later in their lives. However, that is changing. Recently, more and more students realize they want to be teachers far earlier in their lives than in the past. Mr. Jeffrey Macke, a teacher here at Camas High School, added, “Yes. I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was in 7th grade. I had a middle school teacher that I really liked, and he sent me on the path to be a teacher.”  As teachers become further aware of students needs, more and more students look up to them. By realizing just how important teachers are some students find a special way to shape the future potentially. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with that, but I enjoy helping people.” Some of the best parts of teaching come in smaller moments that happen randomly during a class. Mrs. Heather Mulligan added that her favorite part of teaching is “Laughing with you, teenagers.” Also, Mrs. Seanna Pitassi stated her favorite part of teaching is “Being involved, I love seeing the kids, and I get this feeling a lot of the time that I am helping them.”

On the other hand, there are still some students that take longer in their career picking, and that is okay too: “I didn’t really know I want to be a teacher. My sophomore year, everyone tells you to make a choice now. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do…” Pitassi, a new teacher at Camas High School, added. Like many others, she had not seen the most important characteristics of a teacher within herself. Those being: patience and like Cindy Lai, a senior at Camas High School stated: “A passion for teaching because if you don’t see the passion in your teacher, then you won’t have the passion to work.”