Highline has teachers who teach their students with all their heart and soul. 

A teacher may represent someone who gives students knowledge, skills, and confidence to grow in life. They may also be a student’s friend, mentor, or philosopher.

“A passionate teacher is to be someone in love with a field of knowledge, deeply stirred by issues and ideas that challenge our world, drawn to the dilemmas and potentials of the young people who come into class each day – or captivated by all of these,” said Robert L. Fried in an article.

Highline Biology Professor Colleen Sheridian, loves to find new things and the motivation she got from interviewing other teachers changed her journey from being a scientist to a hard working professor. 

“I used to be a scientist, one day I gave my whole day to the teachers and the students of high school and this talk gave me the satisfaction of another level and motivated me towards the field of teaching,” said Colleen.

To add to this, another Highline professor of the Communication Department who teaches Creative Writing, Steve Cave, wants his students to grow emotionally and develop skills throughout their studies in order to use them in the real world. 

“I want to help my students to have deeper critical thinking and stronger voices. The world is in a critical time right now, with far more serious steaks on the line than when I graduated back in the 90s. We need more people who can think clearly, who have emotional intelligence, and who can stand up and speak out,” said Cave.

Moreover, another professor in the Psychology department at Highline, Bob Baugher, said his students are academically strong and are always encouraged to do better in their life within his classroom.

It’s been important to have favorable learning environments and assist parents in finding a balance that is healthy for their kids. Giving advice on how to effectively help with homework and other tasks connected to the curriculum as well.

“In my general psych course, one of the requirements is to interview an older person in their life and ask them 25 questions about their life. Most of my students choose a parent or grandparent,” said Baughter ”In my other classes I ask students to think about what they learned about life from their parents and siblings.”

Professor Cave also added and said that students may strengthen their skills by practicing often and viewing themselves as hard working college students. 

“Students practice speeches with their parents, and sometimes they get their parents to help with things, but that’s it. I try to encourage my running start students to see themselves as regular college students, with all the responsibilities and powers that come along with that role,” he said. 

Covid-19 has also had a significant impact on education for students and teachers all around the world. The pandemic forced schools to close, leading to the need for remote learning and virtual classrooms. Some students and teachers found this transition difficult, especially those who didn’t have access to computers or reliable internet.

Furthermore, many students experienced disruptions in their learning as schools switched to remote learning. 

However, there have been some positive effects as well, such as increased flexibility in learning and the adoption of new technologies to enhance learning skills for the future.

“Everything was online, it was really difficult to come back after covid,” said Colleen. 

“Before Covid, I think my classes were a lot less flexible and less understanding. I was open to students needing more time or help due to personal problems, but I didn’t take sickness seriously, nor depression,” said Cave. “The depression students face now is also much stronger, dealing with loss of loved ones, fear, and the general feeling of powerlessness and loss of faith in leadership. These are heavy.”

He also added that the changes he and his students endured throughout the transition. 

“My teaching needs to work now with a huge variety of situations that students might find themselves in, and we need to talk about some of these things now. One example is that now my speech classes have an “activism speech” to fight for change,” said Cave. 

“Professor teaching via Zoom during covid was a challenge for everyone. Since Fall 2021 I have been teaching and the students who returned to campus report enjoying the experience. I am concerned that some students will not return to campus,” said Bob Baugher.

The level of participation in tasks and problem-solving is higher when students and teachers are motivated, which increases the efficancy of their efforts. In order to enhance students’ cognitive abilities and shape their curiosity and communication skills, it is crucial that teachers also feel motivated.

Colleen said she likes to show her excitement for science to her students and although science may come off as hard for some, she tries to make connections between the classroom and real life to make the class interesting.

”The best strategy for the students is to Repeat, repeat and repeat the concept. Moreover, talking to classmates makes the topic more interesting,” said Colleen. 

Thanks to instructors, future generations of students will contribute to the advancement of their nation and the entire world. Having competent instructors will produce educated generations. Future educators can be produced by educators who develop knowledgeable generations. This is the self-repeating cycle.