Jan. 16, 2025
By Nicolle Alvarez
Staff Writer
Ever wonder what life is like on the other side of the teacher’s desk? The 28 student teaching assistants at LHS could tell you.
This year, juniors and seniors are getting firsthand experience as educators through a new student teaching assistant course.
Supervisor of Humanities Ms. Klein, who proposed the course last year, said she saw potential in pairing upperclassmen and teachers in LHS’ classrooms.
“It is a great opportunity for students to improve communication and organizational skills. It shows them different career options,” Klein said.
She said, so far, the program has been a success.
“I have not heard of any challenges, which is great,” Klein said.
School counselor Ms. Truncellito said the course benefits students by allowing them to take on a leadership position.
“[They gain] experience and knowledge on how to be a positive source [in] a younger student’s experience at this school,” Truncellito said.
She said being a student teaching assistant requires maturity.
“You have to be disciplined, responsible and reliable,” Truncellito said. “All those skills are important for a teenager to have because [they] form [the] habits that you use as an adult.”
To become student teaching assistants, rising juniors and seniors must ask a teacher for permission to serve in that capacity. Then, they must fill out an application specifying the class they want to assist in, and the teacher must sign off on it. The final step is to file the application with the Student Services Department, which passes it along to Principal Ms. Vuono for approval.
“It is a great opportunity for students to improve communication and organizational skills. It shows them different career options.”
English teacher Mrs. Paluzzi said her student teaching assistants, senior Chiara Cardone and junior Arlinda Sahiti, have been providing support in her English I and II classes, respectively.
“Both help me with what I need them to do within the constraint of a block, possibly checking cell phone caddies or help[ing] write passes,” Paluzzi said. “Once they know what the assignment is, they can help facilitate it in a way that students can stay focused on the task.”
Paluzzi said it is especially beneficial to have student teaching assistants in freshman-level courses.
“It is such a pivotal year of transition for incoming high school students entering high school, and having an upperclassman in the room can only help to establish a positive learning environment for all students,” Paluzzi said.
Senior Yuri Silva, who assists Mrs. Granieri in her Algebra 2 class, said being a student teaching assistant has helped him realize each person learns differently.
“Not everyone can learn at the same pace, so I try to be considerate about this and help students individually,” Silva said. “There would be a couple of students who do not grasp the material. I handle this by assisting them with a problem step by step.”
Silva said he has enjoyed seeing how his presence in the classroom has contributed to the students’ success.
“Before [a] test, I would always try to push [a student] to try harder. I knew that he could bump his grade up a couple of points if he tried,” Silva said. “He took my advice, and when I saw him after the test was graded, he was pleased with the grade he got.”
Junior Shayla Rivera, who assists Spanish teacher Señora Rojas in the Spanish II Honors class, said her role has improved her ability in areas of the language she had not yet mastered.
“The skill I have developed the most during this experience is public speaking [because Señora Rojas] motivates me to go up to the board and share my views,” Rivera said.
Although Rivera does not plan on becoming a teacher, she said the experience is preparing her for a career in health care.
“You have to explain to a patient that does not know certain terms and… teach them about their diagnosis,” Rivera said. “Spanish, in general, can really help in the medical field. Being bilingual is definitely an advantage.”
Rivera said she recommends rising upperclassmen apply to become student teaching assistants next school year.
“It helps improve their skill at [a] subject and helps with communication skills when finding new ways to explain new materials,” said Rivera.
