It’s no secret that every school has its “hard” and “easy” teachers, and these discrepancies in teaching styles are very much present at Jefferson. However, in an environment as competitive as ours, having a hard teacher can make earning good grades much more difficult.

Before coming to Jefferson, I heard about grueling nights of homework assigned by notoriously difficult teachers, but also a relatively light agenda implemented by the easy ones. The difference between whether a student left their freshman year feeling ready for more or ready to give up was largely determined by their teachers.

There’s no doubt that having challenging teachers makes the school year tougher, and a tough first year could make students feel unmotivated to continue working hard. On the other hand, easy teachers may make students feel encouraged and look forward to the coming years at Jefferson.

For example, freshman biology has earned multiple reputations. Some have thought it to be one of the hardest classes of freshman year, while others deem it an easy A. It all depends on the teacher.

I’ve heard this issue discussed passionately, and often. There’s growing resentment about the easy A’s earned by students having to use less effort because of their teachers. Unfortunately, in a place where extreme pressure is the norm, the last thing that students need is the added stress of facing bitter peers.

It’s hard to compete when there’s not a level playing field, especially where students are constantly vying for top grades. Although we’re all in the “same boat and not cutthroat”, it’s easy to forget that when a good part of your high school experience hangs in the balance.