Students don’t typically look too far into the lives of their teachers, but it is not something that should be overlooked. Many students complain about grades being put in late, emails being left unresponded, and substitute teachers every now and then. However, they never really consider finding out the reason why.

With each passing day, Emily Veer, teacher, armed with a planner and a shared calendar with their husband, puts up with the chaos of their busy day-to-day schedule.

“Work is always going to be one of my top priorities. Just finding a balance of finding time to take care of myself when I’m not at work and making sure that when I leave work I’m present at home,” Veer said. ”I spend every free second grading and getting all my copies done and maximizing my time at school so that when I get home, I can be present for my family and just be there for them.”

Veer is a determined coach, volunteer sponsor, teacher, and mother-to-be.

With each passing day, they transition from their responsibilities while also making time for their family. This is an impressive thing to do, and Veer isn’t the only teacher who does it. Yet, Veer still loves what they do and claims that they wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“I really do find everything I’m involved in enjoyable. I think if you ask a lot of teachers, coaches, or sponsors, they would agree that it wouldn’t be worth it if you didn’t love it,” said Veer. “I strongly believe that I do this and work as hard as I do because I love what I do and that’s because we’ve got great kids here that make that time and effort worthwhile.”

Yet, amidst the chaos of their responsibilities and involvement in the school and their family, Veer is confronted with their own personal struggles. 

“You know, I’m in that phase of my life where I’m getting ready to be a mom and I’m having thoughts of giving up some stressful things,” said Veer. “I can’t be the person that does everything forever and so I’m having that personal battle of who I am or my identity as a professional and how that might have to change when part of my identity becomes being a mother.”

Despite these struggles, Veer keeps their head up and perseveres through every challenge they encounter. Although it may sound easy, everyone needs someone to lean on once in a while. Luckily, Veer has a support system at their workplace that they can rely on for comfort on a bad day, or to just be there for them when they need it.

“My peers here and the teachers I hang out with and the coaches and sponsors that I am with motivate me and ground me every single day,” said Veer. “I feel really really lucky that they’re not just peers, they’re also friends. I also rely on my family a lot to support me when times are tough.”