Not all high school students get to double up as teachers. As teacher’s assistants, juniors and seniors get the unique opportunity to teach before graduation, exploring their passions and possible career paths.
Senior Ranya Endar has been able to experience this first hand as a teacher’s assistant for English teacher Mathew Horne during his first period English class.
“They really care and put a lot of thoughts into their lesson plan,” Endar said.
Although Endar works formally for Horne, doing jobs like hole-punching and entering grades, she helps other teachers, too. Endar also said that the intellectual aspect of working with students fits in well with her personality and passions. Not only has Endar been able to see first hand what a teacher does, but she has also built a bond with Horne, whom she considers a mentor.
“I find myself being really creative and I like helping people because my mom is a teacher for McLean Preschool,” Endar said.
A surprising experience for Endar was the uniqueness of each individual grade and class, an aspect of teaching that she did not anticipate.
“One of the benefits is that you become really close with the teacher you’re ‘TAing’ with,” Endar said.
Horne believes that teacher’s assistants do not only help lessen a teacher’s workload, but demonstrate a dedication to academics.
“I think it’s great to have TAs; it shows they care about you and care about the subject and that they want to help out the department,” Horne said. “…If papers need to be handed back, those minor things allow me to use the time to focus myself and recharge.”
Senior John Michael Gatti chose to work as a teacher’s assistant solely to prepare him for a career in teaching. As a teacher’s assistant for a class called Adaptive Gym, Gatti works with Special Education students.From the experience, Gatti has gleaned important skills that will carry over into the workplace.
“You need a lot of patience to work with people with disabilities, with special needs disabilities, and it has helped me in that,” Gatti said.