Day One with a full-time teaching assistant, in a classroom of twenty 7- to 8-year-old boys—I knew it was going to be life-changing. I just didn't anticipate it would be so worthwhile and beneficial to the children. We all know the proverb: "two heads are better than one." Well, this is proof that it is true. Everything we do is for the benefit of the child—each individual child. That's why we are here. When I look back and reflect on the good old days … I honestly don't know how we did it. As with life, demands increase and we are called to do more, produce more, be more, and as an educator of the Sacred Heart, we are always challenged to go above and beyond.
As a result of the generous donations to the Masterpiece Campaign, the Primary School teachers and teaching assistants have been able to do so much more, meeting the various needs of a diverse group of learners. In 2nd grade, with the help of our very qualified assistants, we are able to differentiate and meet various students' needs through math groups, Daily 5 conferencing, spelling enrichment, writing assistance and overall classroom management. An additional benefit of having two teachers is that we can assess our students' needs more readily and adjust our lessons accordingly. As seasoned teachers, we are able to provide a wonderful mentorship with newer teachers. We are able to give our students so much more with two teachers in the classroom. We do dare to try new things because we know we aren't alone.
Since it is all about the child we are nurturing, I thought it was important to see what the children thought. If you know a 2nd grader or have spent even the smallest amount of time with a 2nd grade boy, you know they are never at a loss for words or shy about sharing their opinions. The Q&A went like this: "Gentlemen, what do you think about having two teachers in the same classroom?" Their answers? "It's like having a mom and a dad, but at school," "You get so much more work done," "We always get help when we don't know something," "Twenty kids and one adult, that's hard," and my personal favorite—"Like when Mrs. Renn doesn't know something, Ms. Oelerich does, and when Ms. Oelerich doesn't know something, Mrs. Renn does!"
I had many great teachers. That's one of the reasons I wanted to become one. I always imagine what it would be like if I attended a school like Sacred Heart and had the many wonderful opportunities that our students experience. A quote by Sr. Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ that I love and that speaks true to the Masterpiece Campaign is: "It is better to begin a great work than to finish a small one." Embodying the Goals of Sacred Heart Schools and living the words of Sr. Janet, I realize the Masterpiece Campaign is a small piece of a much larger and more important puzzle.
To support our teaching assistants and the Primary School teachers they assist, please make a pledge to the Masterpiece Campaign and the Initiative for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
As the largest campaign in Sheridan Road's history, there is still $1.1M to raise in pledges and outright gifts before June 30, 2017 to fulfill the Campaign's three pillars: Endowment for Tuition Assistance, the Initiative for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and Campus Enhancements.
Contact Anne Marie Tirpak, Director of Institutional Advancement, at (773) 681-8401 with questions.
