Even those students with the best of home lives all have difficulties in their lives. Many students have more severe issues than others but that doesn’t make anyone’s struggles less real. Students often wonder whether or not teachers recognize this.

Whether it’s financial problems at home, divorce, death, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, accepting who you are. Whatever the case may be, it affects the students’ attitude and mood. School is stressful while students are here, hours worth of homework often makes a less than ideal home life even worse.

Teachers might assume if you’re sleeping in class, it’s because they think students are lazy or don’t care. Teachers often think if the homework isn’t done, it’s because you decided to slack off or hangout with friends instead but, do they consider other possibilities?

“I have to make sure my little sisters get dinner every night, sometimes I don’t have time to get my own homework done, ” said a sophomore who wished to remain anonymous.

Whatever the case is, there is often an array of legitimate reasons why your homework isn’t done or why you’re sleeping instead of taking notes.

On the other hand, a less than ideal home life can be a big motivator for some people.

“Things at my house aren’t great.  That’s why I’m determined to get a scholarship so I can go to college and leave the bad situation,” said sophomore, Rylee Holt.

The blame can’t all be placed on the teachers. Students’ home lives and additional stressors are personal and generally tend to be kept private. It’s hard for a teacher to work with students affected by special circumstances and make exceptions if they don’t know some of what’s going on in your life therefore it is important for students to find someone they are comfortable confiding in to find the help they need.