Thomson, Thomson and Thomson.
That may sound like a law firm, but at SHS, it’s a longtime science teacher, and her two teenage children.
This year, for the first time, Biology and AP Environmental Science teacher Kristen Thomson’s children are attending the school. Her son, Spencer, is a junior, and her daughter, Isla is a freshman.
A common misconception about students whose parents are teachers is that they have an academic edge over their peers. School policy, however, doesn’t allow students to be in the class of their parents to prevent bias while grading.
To Spencer and Isla, having a science teacher as a mother does come with benefits, though. While their mother can’t help them with all their subjects, she can provide guidance in her area of expertise.
“It was helpful when I was in Biology, because she teaches the subject, so if I had some questions [about concepts], I could ask her,” Spencer said.
Spencer also noted that he finds comfort in having a parent at school, because he can leave his things in his mom’s classroom and is always welcome to relax there. He finds it funny when his friends are in his mother’s class, because they “kiss up to him,” making comments about how fun and nice his mom is.
On the downside, Spencer dislikes the incessant questions he receives about his mom’s class. Often, students that he doesn’t even know approach him with questions about his mother’s tests and homework, as if he is the one teaching the class.
“I don’t like when they ask, ‘Hey, what’s the homework?’ but I have no idea because I don’t take [the class],” Spencer said.
Isla’s favorite part about having her mom on campus is knowing she will be there if she is ever struggling with anything — the simple presence of her mother at school made the transition from middle school to high school less daunting for her.
Mrs. Thomson, who is in her 25th year teaching here, also enjoys having her kids on campus, noting that she has little time left with them before they go off to college.
“It’s so crazy that I used to walk these halls when I was pregnant with them, and now they’re actually here,” she said. “Time does fly, but I’m so happy that they get to have my colleagues as their teachers.”
To all three Thomsons, having family members on campus provides solace during school. Spencer and Isla say they particularly appreciate having a “personal classroom” to hang out in, stomachs often always filled with snacks provided by their mother during school.
“I really enjoy [having my mom on campus],” Spencer said. “It makes getting to school much easier, her classroom is like my locker and I always know I have a place to relax.”