http://my.hsj.org/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_hk514l55vcib0w55zimiayet_394dbb4a-69a3-4914-8d1a-01a7c069b8fc_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:42:09 GMT 15 By Cameron Brinks
Throughout the course of human history certain mysteries have plagued great thinkers. The most mysterious of course, is what do teacher’s aides actually do? Unless you have actually been an aide, you probably do not know. Most aides are juniors and seniors that have a void in their schedules after having completed required courses. A student can request to be an aide with clearance from the head of a department or by signing up in the guidance office early in the fall semester. Many assist a general department—there are a plethora of them from which to choose: science, math, English, or guidance just to name a few. Some decide to aid for a specific teacher. Senior Ty Stump, a former aid for the science department, offered the average day for being an aide. A teacher presents work to be completed for the period. Work for an aide usually consists of copying papers, stapling packets, or grading papers. After having the days work completed, which for the most part lasts less than a class period, the student has the choice to sleep, do homework, or socialize. An aide’s experience, however, is much less mundane than the aforementioned tasks. “Walking around the building for a little bit beats sitting in an uncomfortable chair for an hour and a half,” stated Ben Greason, who was an aide for the guidance department. Besides the moderate exercise, many aides still manage to have a good time. The infamous copy room is the vehicle through which the aides make the proverbial “lemonade out of lemons”. Instead of patiently waiting for copies to be made, aides watch TV, play an improvised game of hockey, or have contests to collect the most out-dated flyers around the school. “The copy room is an all around good time,” senior Emily Tyson stated simply. All nonsense aside, teachers can appreciate the time aides save in their already busy schedules. Kaye Leonard of the guidance office stressed the importance of aides, particularly to the guidance department. “They hand out passes, make copies, and retrieve students…without them I would probably cry,” she explained Nearly every aide can agree that being an aide is a relaxing break from more rigorous courses. “It’s a nice break to have in between AP classes” Stump said concluding our interview. “It’s a lot of fun. I would personally recommend it.” ]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:52:30 GMT