Just like students, teachers have interesting lives outside of school. Often, students are under the misconception that teachers teach or grade papers morning, afternoon and night, but many actually have hobbies, errands and families of their own.
Chelsea Rees- Math
For math teacher Chelsea Rees, exercise and travel are key aspects in her life.
“This summer I went to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Greece and Spain, where I got to see the Running of the Bulls and we went to San Sebastian,” she said. “I like traveling to different places and seeing different cultures.”
For many people, visiting new places is a great way to escape stress in their lives, and for Rees, it is essential to have time for adventure and exploration.
Another activity that plays a major role in Rees’s life is physical exercise. Rees is an active person, whether it is swimming in the ocean or biking across the Golden Gate Bridge. Recently, she participated in her first triathlon.
“It was a sprint triathlon, so it was half a mile swim, a fifteen mile bike ride and a three mile run,” she said. “It took me two hours and 13 minutes, and my goal was two hours, so I have to do it again to meet my goal. I think the hardest part for me was swimming, since I haven’t swam since high school.”
Just as music or reading helps students detox from the stress-filled reality of their lives, exercise is the perfect solution for Rees.
“It definitely helps with the stress from school. Any kind of working out, I would say, is a stress reliever, and it is just kind of nice to change it up,” Rees said. “I feel really lucky that I get to live in San Francisco because I get to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge and swim in the ocean since it is so beautiful out, and we can run anywhere. I’m so lucky to be in an area where there are so many activities.”
Steve Ratto- Physics
Physics teacher Steve Ratto’s affinity for bowling was discovered in a random and quite lucky way.
“When I was in college, my mom had to convince me to come back every weekend and see her, so she offered to pay for bowling with my parents, and a best friend of mine,” he said. “So I started bowling with them and then with a couple of friends. We started joining a couple of leagues together and started trying to get better.”
As he practiced more, Ratto’s strive for improvement landed him to the competitive leagues.
“Eventually, we ended up bowling in pretty competitive leagues. I bowl with my dad and other friends … we do this just for fun,” he said. “We haven’t bowled [competitively] this year, but we did last year. And we bowl every week, unless it is a holiday or something and we bowl as a team.”
Ratto’s hobbies are not just limited to bowling. When he is stressed, Ratto enjoys a game of pool.
“I have a pool table at home and I grew up, when I was younger and through college, playing pool,” he said. “I bowl and play pool about the same amount overall, though. It kind of gets me away from grading, planning and puts me in a place where that stress isn’t there.”
Students sometimes see their teachers only as people who live at school grading papers and writing tests, but their lives outside of school unknown to students are just as diverse and dynamic.
