By Margot Lyttleton, year 10
Mr. Stack claims that there is no such thing as a regular day for a teacher, as students can be very unpredictable. However, the beloved history teacher does follow a set schedule which brings the benefit of a structured day due to both the school timetable and his own set routine.
Typically, Mr. Stack starts his mornings with a twenty-kilometre electric bike ride to school. One thing about Mr Stack is that regardless of the weather, he will always have a morning cycle. It is an impressive commitment as the journey from his house to school can take up to an hour. In order to keep his energy levels up, the day always begins with his favourite cup of coffee. At 8:15 the most thrilling portion of his day begins: the pupils arrive for class… He starts class with his famous “what am I thinking of?” game, in which he chooses a random topic that the students must guess by asking questions. This sets a good tone for the class creating a positive engagement level. After his early morning periods end, Mr Stack either marks papers or socialises with the other teachers. Occasionally, he attends a formal department meeting at morning break. In addition, on Tuesdays, Mr. Stack is a year twelve and thirteen mentor, which is a role he particularly enjoys.
During his lunch break, Mr. Stack typically eats a sandwich and some fruit at his desk, followed by a quick read of the newspaper before returning to mark papers. Mr. Stack grades in a methodical and thorough manner, so tackling the stack of papers can become quite draining. At this point he’ll normally drink another cup of coffee to help him get through the pile of work. While he appreciates hearing what his pupils have to say and seeing their writing improve; reading the same question twenty times can get very repetitive. Mr. Stack takes the view that no matter how draining his work might be, he must keep a positive attitude. This is clearly appreciated by the students who enjoy his classes.
In order to change up the day, Mr. Stack likes to get some fresh air after being in a classroom for the majority of his time. He also seeks out his colleagues for small conversations and another of cup of coffee. At around 13:25 he will resume teaching classes and will switch from coffee to a delicious cup of Puka kumkuma green tea. Mr. Stack claims that he does not have a favourite time of history to teach. He does, however, appreciate teaching the IB students as this allows him to delve into more detail and teach a deeper understanding of the subject. When the school day is over, Mr. Stack cycles home once again, arriving between 7:30 and 8:00pm.
