Some students can not wait to go to school just to get away from their parents and escape their strict rules. It is the one place where they can be alone with their friends and socialize for a minimum of seven hours and not be under constant parental supervision. But for a few students, that is not the case.

There are a few students who have had the opportunity to attend the same school a relative works at. While some may dislike to have their relative work at the same school, the situation may not be as bad as it seems.

“I feel like I get the benefit [of more information],” senior Saiydece Elias said about her mother, Harmon pre-AP biology teacher Amy Elias. “When I had problems I was able to go to my mom’s work and ask the other teachers for help and have access to different styles of teaching.”

For other students, it allows them to have someone that they feel comfortable with at the school.

“If I ever need help, she’s there and I can ask her questions about schoolwork,” junior Jeremy Martin said about his sister, U.S. history and AP government teacher Cortney Martin.

Another benefit is that the teacher and the student are able to understand each other on a more advanced level because they spend their days in similar environments.

“With both of my older kids being in high school, it definitely helps being a teacher because I understand the life of a high school student,” Amy said. “But it definitely helps because I know everything going on; I completely understand their school day and the struggle.”

Teachers are given the most recent up-to-date information about the scheduling of every school event. This allows the teachers to share their knowledge to their student relatives and also means the student cannot get away with anything.

“I constantly tell [my parents] about [things going on at school],” Cortney said. “Now I’ve noticed that the conversations with my mother revolve around my brother as well, as far as academics. I make her aware of all the things going on especially when it comes to schedule time. It’s pretty intense.”

Having a relative at school can also put more pressure on the students to be on their best behaviors. They have specific expectations that they have to live up to because they represent their family members.

“I really have got to watch what I do and what I say around people,” Saiydece said. “Because no matter what, it gets back to [my mom].”

Teachers hope for their relatives to leave good impressions with their co-workers in order to avoid awkward situations.

“If I have to email a teacher it usually comes from my LISD account so they know immediately that the parent of that child is a teacher, and so expectations are always higher,” Amy said.

Leaving a good impression about their relatives is important to the teachers because it can change the relationship between co-workers.

“It’s a greater degree of intimacy, so when we start talking about things like [my brother], it becomes more real and more authentic,” Cortney said.

The relationship between the student and relative may change during school by becoming strictly professional, but outside of school the relationship becomes more personal.

“I’m not really protective because I like them to have their own lives and have their own experiences,” Amy said. “I like to leave home and school separate.”