Photo used for illustration purposes only. Credit:SeventyFour
Every parent knows that raising a teenager is no easy task. Between mood swings, social pressures, and the constant quest for independence, it can feel like navigating a storm without a map.
Yet, while parents grapple with these challenges at home, teachers face their own daily battles in classrooms, where every lesson can also be a test of patience, empathy, and resilience.
One anonymous teacher recently shared their experience in the Facebook group Parenting Teenagers Hub for Kenyan Mum’s and Dads, revealing the hidden realities of working with adolescents.
"Let me speak openly today, without fear. I am 27 years old — a young, full-time teacher handling teenagers every single day. Yes, 27. Sometimes I joke that I am close enough to understand their slang… but old enough to tell them, ‘In my days…’ and they laugh at me. Many of my students genuinely love me. They trust me. They feel safe around me. And I don’t take that lightly at all," the teacher wrote.
The post highlights the stark differences between teaching boys and girls.
"I started my journey in a boys’ school. That place trained me fast. With boys, you learn quickly that energy is high, competition is real, and sometimes instructions must be repeated 3 times, loudly, before they ‘hear’ you. But behind the noise and stubbornness, I saw young men trying to understand themselves. Some hide pain in jokes. Some hide confusion in defiance. Some just need someone to believe in them."
A transfer to a girls’ school brought new challenges.
"With girls, emotions are deep and layered. Self-esteem battles. Comparison. Silent tears in the washrooms. Friendship drama that feels like a whole Netflix series unfolding in one week. Sometimes you are teaching Mathematics, but you are also managing heartbreak, insecurity, and overthinking… all before lunch break."
Through it all, the teacher realized a key lesson: "Teenagers are not difficult, they are developing."
That lesson was tested when the midterm break arrived.
"Recently, when we broke for midterm, reality hit differently. Some students had not been sent fare from home. A few were stranded. And in that moment, I could have said, ‘That is not in my job description.’ But my heart could not allow it. I helped a few of them get home safely. Not because I am rich. Not because I am perfect. But because I am a teacher by heart, by soul, and by helping."
The post ends with a reminder for parents to see beyond the classroom.
"Sometimes parents may never know these small things we do quietly. Sometimes we are misunderstood when we discipline. Sometimes it feels like we are being judged, too strict, too friendly, too involved, or not involved enough. But the truth is, teachers carry a lot silently. We carry the stubborn boy who is masking pain."