By Halyn ’28
When I first entered Harvard-Westlake, I was a pretty shy and nervous kid. The teachers seemed like unapproachable people and for the first few weeks, I had no intention of interacting with them at all. In fact, I thought I wouldn’t really need to meet with my teachers and that I wouldn’t have any reason to visit any of the offices. However, that all changed when I realized just how valuable of a resource the teachers and offices can be.
Teachers are more than willing to help you with whatever you need and most of them encourage students to visit during office hours – and for a good reason. Visiting your teachers helps you bond with them and set the tone for a good relationship. It could also greatly help your teacher better understand your strengths and weaknesses. This could help them know what the best resources for you could be, and this could help them get a better sense of understanding of you as a student. For example, if your science teacher knows that you struggle in understanding in a certain concept, they could help direct you to extra practice or more materials that could really benefit you. Furthermore, a teacher knowing you better as a student could help with your own learning experiences as you could get targeted feedback, personalized support, and so much more benefits.
Not only can you strengthen the connections with your teachers, but you can also personally get help on anything that could be confusing or challenging for you. If you don’t understand a homework problem, meeting with your teachers can provide valuable guidance and clarification, helping you better understand the material and find effective solutions to the challenges you’re facing. Teachers can break down complex concepts into more manageable parts, offering explanations tailored to your learning style and pace. They can identify exactly where you’re getting stuck, whether it’s a misunderstanding of the material, a gap in foundational knowledge, or confusion about how to approach the problem.
Visiting offices doesn’t have to be only for getting help. Whenever I am free and I happen to have homework for a class, I like to work on my homework in the offices. It’s extremely beneficial for me because my teacher is in the office with me in case I need to ask any questions about the homework or whatever the lesson was. Even if your teacher isn’t in the office, other teachers who teach the same class are more than happy to help. These offices truly make it feel like a community where everyone is supporting each other.
Sometimes, the offices host little fun events! When it’s around halloween, you can go around the offices and go “trick or treating” for some free candy! In the math office,they usually require you to solve a quick math problem before earning your treat. It’s a fun way to engage in the subject matter!
For these reasons, even though when I first entered Harvard Westlake I was a bit nervous about meeting my teachers, it turned out not to be scary at all. Instead of being annoyed or having a negative reaction, these teachers were glad that I reached out for help, and I was able to understand the subject better. For example, meeting with my math teacher was especially helpful when I was taking a challenging math class, as their guidance made a huge difference in my understanding. I was able to successfully prepare for upcoming tests – something I wouldn’t have been able to do if I didn’t come to the office. Soon enough, I began regularly visiting offices based on which subjects I needed help in, and I still do as a freshman.
