Many students tell their mom about their day after school or over dinner, but a select few get to see their mom every day while simply walking to class.
Science teacher Nikki Hoch and her daughters, senior Ty Hoch and sophomore Tallulah Hoch, have the unique opportunity to be at the same school.
Tallulah said having her mother in school with her is a positive experience, and the best part is having her there when school gets difficult.
“It’s nice to be able to come to her and talk out my problems,” she explained. “Even if I didn’t get a good grade, she can reassure me that I did do my best.”
Nikki said she really enjoys being at the same school with her daughters. “There is something extra special about having the chance to see my children walk through the hallways,” she added. “Most parents probably aren’t able to … It’s very nice.”
Senior Lauren Cooper and her mom, English teacher Michelle Rogers, have roamed the same halls for four years.
Cooper said she and her mom are able to see each other frequently because of her class schedule.
“I have two classes on [the first] floor this year, and we get to see each other and say ‘hi’ in the hallways a couple of times a day,” she explained.
Tallulah explained people email her thinking she is her mom or text her asking if her mom is awake to help them with an assignment.
“I’ve gotten emails addressed to her,” she explained. “I still have an email that said ‘when are your office hours I need to come in,’ and then the follow up email was ‘my B wrong Hoch.’”
Cooper said when she was in her mother’s class, she would sometimes get texts from her classmates asking if she could get her mom to move testing dates.
While Tallulah has never been in her mother’s class, Nikki said she has had her other three children in class. She explained since the high school is so small, there are some classes where she is the only teacher who can teach the course.
Rogers said she enjoyed having her daughter in class, but she already knew many of the other students in the class as well.
“She was in my class, but so were her friends, kids that I’ve known since they were in elementary school,” she explained.
Nikki said when she has one of her kids in class, she tries to ensure they are not given any special treatment.
“I feel like I’m harder on them than I am on other students,” she explained. “For both Physics and AP Physics, I don’t help my kids at home. I make them come in to office hours like everyone else.”
Nikki said when she moved to Bexley, she did not have kids, nor did she work in the district, so working at the same school her kids attend was not a part of the original plan, but she feels lucky to teach at the high school.
Rogers explained she feels she and Cooper are able to have more shared experiences when assemblies or other schoolwide events occur. Additionally, they both participate in some of the same activities and are able to do them together, she added.
“We talk about our day, and sometimes things overlap, like we both go to Book Club together, and I think that’s been fun,” she said.
Rogers said when they are talking about their days, they are able to have deeper connections.
“When she talks about her day, I know the people teaching her,” she explained. “Our understanding of each other’s day is probably deeper than most.”
