By 7 a.m., the smell of coffee fills the kitchen as lunches are packed, backpacks are zipped, shoes are tied and kids are rushed out the door for school. As a Gabrielino mother prepares her own children for school, she gets ready to take on a day of her own, arriving on campus as a whole different person, ready to care for dozens of other students.
While students only see them on campus as teachers, counselors or other staff members, many mothers go home to a completely different set of responsibilities, circumstances and expectations.
For many of these mothers, their nurturing character does not just shine at home, but carries into their school day, shaping the way they understand, interact with and empathize with students of all kinds. The same patience and motherly instinct is not exclusive to their children at home, but is often a part of their everyday interactions with students.
For Jennifer Mendez, English teacher, being both a mother and a teacher often works hand in hand.
“Being a teacher is the perfect offset of a parental role,” Mendez said. “The kids, they need a part of you at all times, whether it’s the teacher part or the part that needs to cheer them on.”
Mendez is a mother of three children, ages 24, 21 and 19. She believes that her experiences and tendencies as a mother directly translate into how she operates as a teacher.
Similarly, Jocelyn Machado, counselor, said this motherly role does not just help her understand the students she works with, but also their parents.
“Being a mother has helped me understand a parent’s perspective better, and in turn, that helps me understand how to support my students better as well,” Machado said.
Machado has worked at Gabrielino for 15 years and has been a mother for nine of those years. She said she often sees both roles connect as she supports students and families.
For Andrea Jo Sims, physical education teacher, being a mother has also impacted her ability to understand students and their circumstances.
“I have that nurturing heart,” Sims said. “It’s very important to me that my students know that I care and love them truly, and that I just want the best for them.”
Sims has been a physical education teacher for seven years and has been a mother for 14 years. Being a mother has taught her how to empathize with students and better understand where they are coming from.
Monica Hagge, counselor, echoed this message of understanding, saying her role as a mother has allowed her to see both sides.
“I think it helps me advocate for the kids in a different way, because I get it from both ends,” Hagge said.
Hagge has worked at Gabrielino for 19 years and has been a mother for 13 years. She said having a child of her own has impacted her perspective on supporting students.
While motherhood has helped many staff members better support students, balancing the already demanding responsibilities of being a mother with the duties of being an educator can be difficult. Many mothers described how giving their all to both worlds can be challenging.
Machado said some of her duties as a counselor can clash with her responsibilities as a mother.
“I want to give both my all in everything that I do,” Machado said. “Sometimes it feels like, if I’m giving to my work kids, then my own kids are missing out.”
Hagge shared a similar experience, describing how she finds it hard to show up for everyone at once.
“Being there for everybody is hard. I want to be there for you guys, but sometimes I miss out on my own kid,” Hagge said.
Beyond this, Sims said students sometimes forget that the responsibilities of a teacher extend beyond the school day.
“My day is not over when I leave here at 3:30,” Sims said. “My job as a mom, person, wife, woman, isn’t done here at school, but just continues throughout my day.”
For Mendez, one of her biggest struggles in maintaining both roles is handling the expectations she has for her students.
“I want for my students what I want for my own kids,” Mendez said. “Sometimes it’s hard because I have expectations for them as a mother would, but they’re not my kids.”
Despite their struggles, the mothers said their roles as parents have had a positive impact on their work at Gabrielino.
Tera Straker, 10th-grade English teacher, said the most fulfilling part of her role as a teacher is watching her students succeed from the beginning to the end.
“The most rewarding part is getting to see my students’ growth and development and just watching them mature and blossom,” Straker said.
Straker has worked at Gabrielino for nine years and is the mother of two adult sons, ages 23 and 25.
To her, the most rewarding part about being a mother in a teaching position is having the ability to care deeply about her students and understand their behaviors on a deeper level.
Mendez also said motherhood has helped her care for her students with more patience and understanding.
“I really feel like I have a genuine care for all of my kids, even the kids who I’m tougher on,” Mendez said.
For Straker, motherhood itself has also taught her the valuable lesson of learning to accept and let go.
“It’s a lot of letting go and just trusting what I raised,” Straker said.
Although their experiences are different, their stories share a similar truth: motherhood has taught and strengthened them in many aspects of their lives, both in their work at Gabrielino and outside of school. This Mother’s Day, their stories show the strength and resilience it takes to care for students on campus while also balancing the responsibilities waiting for them at home.
