The school year is nearing the finish line. Deadlines approach and the piles of homework are getting higher and higher. 

Finals, AP Exams and state exams are all nearing their way to us. The end is inevitable and the pressure is on.

Even though students are the ones known for late-night cramming and past-due assignments, some teachers have it difficult as well. 

“I feel like I always have a lot to grade, but, I think there’s a bit more pressure during [the end of the year] because there’s a set deadline,” French and Spanish teacher Alexis Savas said. 

Many teachers can feel stressed out during these last few months of school. There are assignments and quizzes to score, grades to put into Infinite Campus, study guides to go through and so much more. 

“I think when it comes to finals, teachers try to help you prepare as much as possible. But I feel as if they don’t make too many changes. They tend to push a lot of material on us so we finish the year faster and get through everything,” Daksha Gopalakrishnan ‘25 said. 

Then comes the biggest stress of all: final exams. Students struggle to drill every piece of information they’ve learned into their heads while teachers go through their own struggles as well. But what are finals like for teachers? 

“I think the last quarter is super overwhelming because the amount of grading just continues to stack up. Students are obviously watching grades closely,” English teacher Kate Kubina said. “Then there are missing assignments as well. Kids come in so quickly to make them up and it feels like it is a mad dash to get to the end of the year successfully.” 

Teachers who teach AP courses are also feeling pressure as the exams approach.

“I think it’s just that I have a high-stress period right now. I’m teaching AP courses, and [finals are] earlier for them. For my seniors, I think you know, they’re just facing senioritis they’re really ready to be done,” AP Human Geography teacher Doreen Smith said. 

Despite all the stress teachers go through and the endless work they have, there’s an emotional touch to the end of the year. The activities the school organizes such as Wish Week and Prom, and the graduating senior class and their grad parties, senior wall handprints, and more celebrate the end of the year. 

“There’s a lot of fun outside of our academics. Students celebrate their hard work for the whole year and getting into transition,” Kubina said. “I love our moving-up assembly when our freshmen get to physically move up into the sophomore section. Then our seniors get to run through this tunnel of all their teachers and say goodbye. It’s a really special ceremony.”

Seniors’ graduation is also emotional for teachers who have taught them throughout high school. 

“I get really close to my seniors because I’ve had them for three to four years in a row. And so it’s really hard to let them go even though they’re going on to bigger and better things. You’ll know you’re going to miss them so I think the moving up assembly is really emotional,” Savas said. 

However, Smith is excited for the graduating seniors and for what they will do in the future.

“I think it’s exciting. For seniors especially, it’s just really cool that they have some fun things to look forward to like prom and senior sunset, graduation. They’re just like, really important milestones that commemorate their high school experience,” Smith said. “I think there’s also a little bit of sadness to it, but it’s much more exciting for them, that they’re moving on with their big lives.” 

Considering how much teachers have on their shoulders during finals and the last quarter. Some students even feel their teacher’s behaviors change towards high-stress weeks. 

“[My teachers] definitely become more strict towards the end of the year,” Reagan Martin ‘26 said. “In some of my classes, I’m allowed to have my phone and that’s how it was at the beginning of the year and now I’m not. We’re also doing harder topics and going way faster so it’s harder to understand.”