Walking into first period, still half asleep, you stumble to your desk, rubbing your eyes in fatigue until—

“ALRIGHT, BOYS AND GIRLS, LISTEN UP!”

All of a sudden, you jerk out of your stupor. Any trace of exhaustion is gone.

Enthusiastic first-period teachers are lifesavers. Their spirit and animation help prepare you for your academics; they’re full of limitless energy to fuel your otherwise sleep-deprived mind.

Balancing a full load of AP coursework, extracurricular activities, and weekends full of work is tough, and sometimes it’s hard to find motivation to focus on Calculus at eight in the morning. However, having a teacher like Kennedy, whose top-volume voice and dizzying back-and-forth pacing penetrates even the deepest sleep, can be great because you won’t have the opportunity to miss new information, as you’ll never have a chance to sleep in class.

Additionally, lively teachers can save students a significant amount of money day-to-day. For the majority of students, coffee from Starbucks tastes much better than coffee from home. However, one grande cappuccino from Starbucks costs around $4; with 180 days of school in each school year, the cost of remaining awake each morning adds up to $720.

With a good teacher, on the other hand, it’s completely free. I stay attentive and engaged with nothing but Stephens’ passionate lectures and wildly expressive gestures; consequently, my classmates and I save a significant amount each year—which is good, because college is expensive and we need every cent we can get.

So thank you, energetic first-period teachers. We owe you. Literally.