Grade the Grades: Which Grade Do Teachers Like Best?

You walk through the doors of Blacksburg High School. In one corner, the Freshmen are screaming. In another, the Sophomores are hating on the Freshmen (which they were only a few months ago). The Juniors are stressing over their six tests that week in the third corner. There’s no fourth corner because the Seniors barely show up for school. There are many pros and cons to each grade in high school; some are stereotypes, others not so much. Students know the connotations that come with each grade, but who’s asking the teachers their thoughts? Which grade, if any, do teachers find the most fun to teach? Is it the newbie freshmen, or the experienced seniors? Though every teacher likely has a different opinion on this topic due to the subject they teach, how they teach it, and their mood during the day, it’s a worthwhile topic to delve into. 

Mr. Lewis, for example, teaches both sophomores and juniors in English subjects. When asked about which grade he finds to be his favorite (including ones he doesn’t teach) he said, “Either sophomores or juniors, depends on the day.” Mr. Lewis, despite having an excessive amount of super senior certificates, prefers the classes he teaches over the ones he doesn’t. Interestingly, Mr. Lewis didn’t have a dazzling review for the freshmen. “The pro is that they [his sophomore and junior classes] both aren’t freshmen.” For Mr. Lewis at least, he is on board with the stereotype coining freshmen as less than pleasant. But, he finds that the class he enjoys teaching the most is truly dependent on the day. Sophomores can take the cake one week, and juniors the next.

Mrs. Justus, a teacher of history and psychology (who teaches all grades at Blacksburg High School), also prefers the older end of the spectrum. “Probably 10-12 graders are my favorite to teach because their thought process and understandability is more mature and engaging.” Not only do teachers prefer upperclassmen (and sophomores) over freshmen because they are more grown up, but also because they are able to be more active participants in class. Freshmen, as they come straight out of middle school, are likely more distracted and have a harder time adapting to high school level courses. Teachers (like Mrs. Justus) notice this, and are inclined towards the older grade levels. 

However, teachers aren’t the only authority figures in public schools that interact with students. Coaches of sport teams do, too. Mr. Leonard, being the coach of the football team, works with students of all grade levels and developed a preference for one particular grade. “I like seniors because I’ve gotten to know them the best over the years.” Mr. Leonard feels he enjoys working with seniors the most because of the connection they’ve built over the years they’ve spent on the football team. When asked about his least favorite grade he said, “Freshmen are just a little shy.” While Mr. Leonard doesn’t have anything negative to say about any of the classes, he definitely finds it the hardest to interact with freshmen. 

From teachers to coaches at Blacksburg High School, everybody has some sort of opinion on which grade they find the most enjoyable to work alongside. While the stereotypes may hold true on freshmen being the least pleasant, it’s not totally because they are annoying menaces. Freshmen are just out of middle school, shy, and don’t have mature intelligence. This makes many teachers more excited to work with more mature students in 10-12 grade. Though opinions on their preference can change on the day, our teachers have learned to embrace and enjoy the unique differences of all grades.

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Written by Molly Nelson

Photography by Sallie Frost