Relationships are one of the most important things that students form while being in school. GHS has some selected students to TA for teachers. Being a teacher’s assistant is a way for those students to form healthy relationships between their teachers and peers.
“I have actually gotten pretty close with two people in there that I had not really talked to before that,” senior Emma Martin said. “I also talk to the office ladies a lot more now because I used to be scared of them.”
The senior has formed close relationships with her peers and the staff members that she assists with. The period that the students TA for is originally their study hall period, but they choose to opt out of their study hall and assist teachers instead. However, the students are still allowed to use that time as a study hall where they can take tests or visit teachers to get their work done. The TA’s do have a little bit more freedom than other students have. They are allowed to be on their phones and can roam the halls without an e-hall pass. However being a TA comes with different tasks that they have to do.
“We print out a list of study halls so we know who is available,” Michelle Shurtliff said. Shurtliff works in the Counseling Office at the front desk. “It’s a student that must be in good standing and gets their work done on time.”
The process of choosing TA’s is complicated. The staff talks about what student would be a good fit. They usually choose students who are respectful and responsible. Forty percent of people apply to be a TA and 60% of students are chosen to be a TA. The staff then prints lists of when the students are available. The staff asks around about the students and teachers usually recommend top tier students.
“They run passes to class,” Shurtliff said. “They help with bulletin boards or hanging stuff out in the hallways.”
Being a teacher’s assistant consists of many different tasks. The tasks depend on where the students assist teachers. In the library, students check in books. If the students assist in the office, they hand out passes to different classes. In the counselor’s office, they cut passes and hang college sheets up in the hallways. If someone wants to be a TA, they can start by choosing one of those three locations they want to assist at. The students can be chosen in two ways, they can either apply by emailing a staff member or the staff member can reach out to a certain student that they seem fit.
Being a TA is a great way to meet new people. The students who assist are helpful and they form close bonds with their teachers. It is a way for students to get more freedom and earn the respect of teachers that they help with.
