Let’s be honest: life has been a lot, recently. There’s a lot expected out of people, students and staff alike. We’re all in a period of stress, and we have found ourselves in a world where outward aggression is a suitable replacement for respect.

It’s a common complaint that students have too much to do. Between various before and after school activities and at-home responsibilities, consistent homework and studying for seven classes adds a lot of responsibility to the already busy schedule of the average student.

Sometimes it’s just not possible to get that worksheet done on time, and watching your grade plummet because of it just serves to add more stress on top of everything else. It’s especially for stressful for upperclassmen hoping to maintain a good GPA for college applications.

Yet, teachers have their own issues to consider. They consistently work through grading up to a hundred or more papers or tests, in addition to their own personal responsibilities. And some students consistently disrespect the teachers, even in subtle ways.

People undermine the teacher’s authority, succumb to absent-mindedness or sleeping in class, doing anything but the work they were given or flat out mocking the teacher. Every single one of these things just serves to make life harder for our teachers.

On both sides of the equation, respect and understanding has been lost. No-one knows exactly what goes on in a person’s life, and you can never tell exactly what things people might be hiding from others. By continuing this cycle of disrespect, everyone is hurt. And while cliché, maybe it’s time to bring up that golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. That way, just maybe, it would be enough to turn the weeds of hurt to brilliant blooming flowers.

Our take: Mental health impacts both students and staff equally.