- Somers High School
- Homepage
Rising Educators Club Provides Students a Preview to a Future Career
Student clubs and activities at Somers High School are vast and varied, but the Rising Educators Club is among the most thought-provoking groups—at least from a teacher’s perspective.
“The way that teachers work around the many challenges is just amazing,” said a group of club members after participating in student-led lessons with Primrose Elementary students. “We have a whole new respect for teachers.”
Members of this career-oriented club meet about four times a month during lunch periods. Most are considering a career in education, while some want to work with children in other capacities.
A typical meeting involves discussing outreach opportunities between high school students and working with younger students in reading and other literacy activities. The club has also hosted book drives and “blind dates with a book” event, creating intrigue about books whose titles are hidden. In addition, teachers welcome the opportunity to reach out to the club seeking help in creating bulletin boards and displays around the school. Some club members visit Primrose Elementary on a weekly basis during their free or lunch periods to lead recess games with the younger kids.
Eight ninth-grade club members visited Primrose to read and work with kindergarten and first-grade classes earlier this year. They prepared all classroom activities and lessons. Club President Sharika Szabo, a senior, and Vice President Isabella Milojevic, a junior, contacted Primrose Assistant Principal Meg Benedetto to coordinate and schedule the classroom visits. Before the visit, club members worked together to determine age-appropriate reading material and literacy lessons. Before teaching the class with the young students, club members practiced their plans with one another.
“I want to be a teacher, so it was great to learn what the job entails, and just seeing how excited they all were was great,” said Melanie Maia. “I liked reading the story and doing the activities with them because they had meaning behind them. It was really fun,” added Caitlin Gannon.
Club moderators Katherine DeLandri and Tara Kearns dedicate themselves to the club’s vision “to help high school students connect with children through the role of mentor and teacher.” “Rising Educators Club provides a wonderful opportunity for students interested in pursuing a career in education to determine if teaching is a good fit for them,” stated DeLandri.
“It has been incredibly rewarding to witness how engaged and intentional the students have been as they choose books and plan lessons for the little ones,” added Kearns. “Katherine and I are available to provide mentoring and guide them in this process, but they come up with such cool and unique ideas all on their own. Makes us very proud!”