One common thing we all hear from students is how rough and intimidating starting a new year can be, especially as a freshman or a junior where the atmosphere is completely different with different buildings. These challenges are often overcome as students find others who they can easily relate to and teachers who are used to helping students settle in. However, these challenges can be just as difficult for a teacher who is starting their first year with students they don't know and teachers they may not be familiar with. 

School has never been in my interest and I'd be lying if I said I took it seriously. I am usually just trying to get by and often see myself struggling to stay engaged the entire class period, often distracted by friends or things around me. As a kid, I've always been big into history and got big into European history. This is what got me interested in learning how to speak German. 

Walking into German on the first day of school as a senior at Arrowhead High School to me was more of curiosity than an interest in learning more because we all were all aware that we were going to have a new German teacher. I met Frau Schneeman, who was more unfamiliar with me than I was with my entire class. The room wreaked anxiety and stillness as there was a teacher who didn't know the students and students who didn't know the teacher. 

I remember when she first started talking, introducing herself, and how quiet it was. It's definitely common for students to be quiet, however you see more commonly, teachers are the ones to try to break students out of their comfort zone and talk a little. In my past experience, a teacher's first impression is commonly how the mood of the classroom is for the remaining semester which is why its important for teachers to make their classroom as welcoming as possible. As the class went on, both sides started to get more comfortable and the feeling of the class became more relaxed. 

Since that day, the class has gotten way more comfortable and most days, the vibe of the class is fun and engaging. I can't think of a day where I walked into Frau Schneeman’s class and thought I wasn't going to have fun. Even on days where my days feel long and stressful, I always manage to laugh and have fun. Teachers are human too and it's important to understand that a teacher who is new may be just as nervous starting a school year as the students are.