Teaching Profession Photo Essay

See Me After School

By Education Week Photo Staff — March 11, 2014 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Aliza Eliazarov is a Brooklyn-based photographer, picture editor, and teacher. Her portrait series, “See Me After School,” draws inspiration from her personal experiences as an educator for 8 years before leaving the profession to become a photographer.

“After school is a poignant time in a teacher’s day. It’s one of both reflection and preparation – exhaustion and relief, concern and contentment. This portrait series is a glimpse into the world of the challenging life of today’s educator,” says Eliazarov.

All of the portraits were taken right after school at the end of the last school year. Eliazarov had her subjects close their eyes and check in with how they were feeling before photographing them. She then interviewed each about their day.

Josina Reaves: A high school teacher at Poly Prep in Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. How do you feel right now? Exhausted. What was the highlight of your day? I read some fantastic student poems; some were really thoughtful, well done, and revealing.
Jeremy St. Romain: A middle school technology teacher at MS 343, The Bronx School of Applied Mathematics and Technology. What was the high point of your day? I had a good time with my 6th graders. Right now they’re doing Google presentations. Even some of the knuckleheads were engaged.
Kate Louis: A high school English teacher at Urban Assembly For Green Careers on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. How do you feel right now? Accomplished, proud of students who stayed late, and overwhelmed because I still need to make lesson plans for tomorrow.
Emma Fryer: A middle school special education teacher at MS 363, The Academy For Personal Leadership and Excellence in the Bronx. What was the highlight of your day? There was a really good flow today in one of the struggling classes. It’s really nice when everyone is working at their fullest capacity. I’ve been working really hard developing a new lesson plan template. What do you like most about teaching? Picking kids’ brains apart to find the best way for them to access the curriculum.
Hilary Koenig- Beynon: A middle school art teacher at Poly Prep in Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. How do you feel right now? Tired. What’s the best thing about your job? The kids are mostly motivated and enthusiastic. There are lots of resources here. What’s the hardest thing? You have to be “on” all day. Also, school politics.
Peter Mancini: An elementary music teacher at PS 164 in Borough Park in Brooklyn. I was a baker before I was a teacher. I really enjoy teaching. I get a kick out of the kids. What was the high point of your day? Conducting the band playing Star Wars.
Jacqueline Malanga: An art teacher at High School For Fashion Industries in Chelsea. How do you feel right now? Glad to be here, relieved that it’s the end of the day. I have a lot to do for tomorrow, but if I go home I will crash. I constantly think about how to take time for myself and not get completely enveloped, but I do.
Francesca Leibowitz: A middle school English teacher at Poly Prep in Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. She left a career in advertising to teach. What was the high point of your day? I’m currently doing a poetry unit. Students were enthusiastic, and inspiring. I’m thinking about wrapping up, cleaning my desk and getting organized. I have to say I have the best job. I love, love, love what I do.
Maddie Sage-El: A high school special education teacher at Urban Assembly for Green Careers on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. How do you feel right now? Exhausted.
Belina David: A fashion design teacher at The High School For Fashion Industries in Chelsea. How do you feel right now? Tired. My son wants to go home but I can’t because there’s too much to do. We are getting ready for a fashion show. Yesterday I was in Albany with the teachers’ lobby. That was exciting.
Ariel Polonsky: A preschool teacher at the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue Preschool. What was the high point of your day? There were lots of little high points. The room was humming. We let our butterflies go today. That was nice! What was the low point? I forgot my lunch.

Related Tags:

A version of this article first appeared in the Full Frame blog.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Achievement Webinar
The Relationship Advantage for Attendance, Engagement, and Achievement
Relationship-building goes beyond back-to-school. Get practical ideas from district leaders and educators to strengthen student connections.
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: Build Campaigns That Engage K-12 Leaders
We’ll share what’s resonating with Education Week’s K-12 audience based on user behavior across platforms and other proprietary data.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Measuring What Matters: How District Leaders Are Redefining Student Assessment
In this panel discussion, district leaders and systems experts will examine the gap between the outcomes we want and the systems in place.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession Opinion ‘Can I Go to the Bathroom?’: How Even Teachers' Smallest Judgment Calls Add Up
Teaching is a constant exercise in emotional triage.
Heidi Wells
•
3 min read
A teacher is overwhelmed by the constant decision making of an educator's job. Educational triage. Burnout.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Teaching Profession Q&A What Teacher Shortages Really Say About the Profession
In the new book, Ending Teacher Shortages, researcher Tuan Nguyen highlights need to move from magic bullets to a more stable workforce.
4 min read
The definition of teacher sits on teacher Leon Smith's desk at Haverford High School, in Haverford, PA on March 20, 2024.
A definition of the word teacher sits on Leon Smith's desk at Haverford High School, in Haverford, PA on March 20, 2024. New data suggest a long-term trend of higher vacancies and more underprepared teachers.
Alejandro A Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via TNS
Teaching Profession What the Research Says How the U.S. Teaching Profession Compares to Global Peers
New data from OECD show global trends in teacher staffing and workloads.
4 min read
The Maryland governor's office reports that 4% of the state’s teacher positions are unfilled, meaning nearly 1,600 classrooms don’t have an experienced educator leading students.
New data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development finds that teacher shortages are a global challenge.
Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS
Teaching Profession What the Research Says States Roll Back Pay Incentives for Teachers in High-Need Areas
A new national study finds less differentiated pay for science fields, high-risk student groups.
3 min read
A classroom in Geneva Elementary School in Geneva County Schools, Geneva, Alabama on August04, 2026
A classroom in Geneva Elementary School in Geneva, Ala., is pictured in August 2026. Alabama still offers pay incentives for teachers in shortage areas, but many states do not, a new report finds.
Trisha Crain/Al.com via TNS