As the school year begins to wrap itself up, assignments continue to pile onto each other. For some students, it may seem like the stress is taking a toll. I believe this is the effect of teachers throwing last-minute projects, lessons and assignments onto students.

Obviously, this varies for some teachers but it seems like some classes are becoming more stressful than others. I think the problem starts at the beginning of the semester. If you are a teacher who starts off unorganized,  it is likely you will maintain that negative attitude throughout the rest of the year. However, I’m not a teacher and I am unable to control the education system, still, some methods can be used to prevent this.

One thing I hate is when teachers rush through a lesson. It is extremely important for students to understand what’s being taught and the pace of the lesson plays a big role. Sometimes, when a teacher talks too fast for the class to process, the topic will be finished before students can take notes. However, talking too slowly can also be bad for the class. This is why it’s important to have enough experience in teaching to know what high school students prefer regarding teaching pace. I suggest asking the class questions such as “Am I going too fast?” or “Would you like me to go over anything again?” I find the teachers who tell the class to give a thumbs up or down in the middle of the lesson are extremely helpful, as this method accurately confirms whether the students are still following.

One thing I appreciate about specific teachers is when they switch up the activities given to students. For example, in my psychology class, there will be days when we are working on a worksheet, listening to lectures, conversing with people next to each other, or watching a video on the screen. Then, at the end of each unit, there is a project assigned to us. Personally, this is one of the most beneficial ways teachers can teach a class. Switching things up exercises the brain, whereas sticking to the same thing can get boring. Nowadays, it seems that younger people have a shorter attention span than adults. Therefore, lecturing students every day will most likely not help them process the information teachers are giving them.

Following these methods may help teachers avoid running out of time. But like I said, at the end of the day, I’m not a teacher. However, it’d be nice if some would consider these thoughts, coming from me, a student.