When school finishes at 2:50 p.m., students go off to hang out with their friends, do homework, go to their jobs, do a hobby, and leave school behind. But what do teachers do? Their lives are more unknown than the average student’s. Besides grading, students don’t necessarily know about teachers’ hobbies.

Rumors have been circulating that our Assistant Principal, Mr. Viteri, trains in Jiu Jitsu and MMA fighting in the mountains. Viteri said, “right now my major activity that I do outside of school is Jiu Jitsu.” Regarding Jiu Jitsu in the mountains, he clarified that “it’s something that Principal Rodrigues loves to say on the loud speaker, but no, I have never gone to the mountains to train.” Viteri has practiced martial arts since age 12, dedicating 12 hours a week to Jiu Jitsu. He finds that New York City has many great Jiu Jitsu gyms.

Mr. Wassmuth, who teaches AP Environmental Science and Earth and Space Science, balances an athletic and artistic lifestyle. Wassmuth explains that he “sometimes teaches teachers here in the evenings how to do stained glass” and creates “stained glass windows, lamps, and things like that.” 

He enjoys triathlons and is “best at the swim” portion. These triathlons tend to be half-iron mans. Wassmuth also goes kayaking, partakes in overnight camping trips, and likes to ski, snowboard, and scuba dive. 

Wassmuth spends quite a lot of time on these hobbies. He says he’s “hitting the gym about four times a week.” In the summer, he’s usually out on his kayak “twice a week,” and he spends “about a month or so going to different camping areas.” He seems to be very passionate about all sorts of activities.

Dr. Austin, the French teacher, was also asked about her hobbies. She likes “traveling, car or plane, anywhere.” During school breaks, she takes the opportunity to leave the city and explore new places, embracing the sense of adventure.

Ms. Walsh, the AP Seminar and AP Research teacher, shared that she has quite a few hobbies. She reads “every night, even if it’s for five minutes” and attends yoga classes twice a week.

Walsh enjoys “power vinyasa yoga classes,” as it is “not traditional yoga but a studio where it’s dark, the music is so loud, and [she] can forget [her] thoughts and just focus on body movement.” In the summer, she makes art, specifically painting people’s faces and making murals from broken tiles.

Through these diverse hobbies, teachers show that their lives extend far beyond the classroom. There are all types of activities teachers do to take their minds off stress and truly focus on what is going on in the moment. While often overlooked, teachers’ lives outside of school are just as full and meaningful as those of their students.