The start of a new school year can be tough for everyone, but it can be especially challenging for faculty members who have new additions. After spending a long day working at school, it can be exhausting for teachers to go home and take care of their children all night.

“It’s hard because it’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also the most gratifying thing I’ve ever done,” social studies teacher Matt Miles said. “All of your time at home is dedicated to taking care of your kid, especially a one year old who can’t help themselves.”

Not only are Miles and his wife busy parenting their one-year-old son Quentin, but they are also making preparations to welcome their second son in early December. They will soon have their hands full with raising two children under two.

Spanish teacher Sarah Travis welcomed her second child at the end of last school year and recently returned from maternity leave.

“I had just about four months off at home, and with my first child, I had eight weeks,” Travis said. “That was one of the reasons I quit the business world and came into teaching: so I could have more time with my family.”

Travis has a four-and-a-half year old son named Liam in addition to her infant daughter, Maggie Rose, who was born last April.

“I think being a parent helps me be a better teacher,” Travis said. “I can understand a parent’s point of view and I think I’m better with classroom discipline.”

Balancing work and life commitments can be difficult when one has a child.

“I don’t really take any free time for granted because now the baby dominates every single second that she’s present,” science teacher Corey Porter, who has a nine-week-old daughter named Caterina Jane Porter, said.

Although parenthood makes the life of a teacher even more chaotic, faculty members find the challenges well worth it.

“It’s just the moments of when your one-year-old son is giggling and laughing,” Miles said. “There’s nothing better in the world.”