MY EXPERIENCE AS A TEACHER'S ASSISTANT
Editor's Note: Mitchell B. ('16) described his time pursuing his passion, as a TA, in this descriptive article.
Every Wednesday afternoon, I make my trek to the Middle School, a place where I spent four peculiar years of my life, learning how to learn. Walking into the classroom and seeing twenty excited faces yelling “Mitchell!” is always one of the highlights of my week. That unending source of energy is rejuvenating amidst the perpetual stress of High School. These kids are struggling through one of the most formative parts of their lives, one where they discover how they want to express themselves. So as much as class is about learning the circumference of a circle or the area of a rectangle; it is also about learning how to be a student and a person.
Each class begins with review of the previous night’s work. Quickly two groups of students emerge, those who vocalize their progress, and those who studiously mark up their work. This all coalesces into a chorus of “yes!”s, “huh?”s, and “I don’t get it”s, as the kids immediately distinguish each other from the group. Some will do a little dance or high-five, while others check their work with a partner. Now, with each subtle choice, kids are deciding how they want to be perceived. To be clear, each kid's choice of expression does not correlate with their math ability, but the confines of the classroom have given the kids a way to appropriately express who they are.
While this is still a math class, and kids learn basic concepts, Mr. Dailey, the teacher, has constantly reinforced one idea: accountability. As the kids seek agency in their own lives, they are asked to take charge of their learning experience. This manifests itself in menial tasks like getting parents to sign grade sheets and tests, but also in asking a friend or going to a teacher when they are having trouble with a concept. Some kids have acclimated to this better than others. Those who have feel confident in their math abilities and generally succeed, whereas those who have not are a bit more bashful and have a slightly more difficult time. My job as a teacher’s assistant is to, of course, help with the concepts that kids struggle with and assist Mr. Dailey, but also to instill confidence in each kid by letting them know that I believe in them, and in turn, they should believe in themselves and take responsibility of their respective learning experiences. This has been a unique opportunity that I have enjoyed thoroughly.
Each class begins with review of the previous night’s work. Quickly two groups of students emerge, those who vocalize their progress, and those who studiously mark up their work. This all coalesces into a chorus of “yes!”s, “huh?”s, and “I don’t get it”s, as the kids immediately distinguish each other from the group. Some will do a little dance or high-five, while others check their work with a partner. Now, with each subtle choice, kids are deciding how they want to be perceived. To be clear, each kid's choice of expression does not correlate with their math ability, but the confines of the classroom have given the kids a way to appropriately express who they are.
While this is still a math class, and kids learn basic concepts, Mr. Dailey, the teacher, has constantly reinforced one idea: accountability. As the kids seek agency in their own lives, they are asked to take charge of their learning experience. This manifests itself in menial tasks like getting parents to sign grade sheets and tests, but also in asking a friend or going to a teacher when they are having trouble with a concept. Some kids have acclimated to this better than others. Those who have feel confident in their math abilities and generally succeed, whereas those who have not are a bit more bashful and have a slightly more difficult time. My job as a teacher’s assistant is to, of course, help with the concepts that kids struggle with and assist Mr. Dailey, but also to instill confidence in each kid by letting them know that I believe in them, and in turn, they should believe in themselves and take responsibility of their respective learning experiences. This has been a unique opportunity that I have enjoyed thoroughly.
