As Spring Term starts, EBI Uppers and Seniors reflect on their past two terms as Teaching Assistants, regarding the curriculum they teach, as well as why they decided to apply. Many have expressed that teaching EBI has been a positive experience for them.
Jacob Kaiser ’24:
“I’ve always wanted to be a sort of teacher, and it’s been something I’ve considered doing after college, so this has been an opportunity to get a view into what that would be like. At the same time, a lot of students hate EBI, so it’s tough to have the role of an EBI teacher when lots of people are very reluctant to be in class. To talk a bit about the curriculum, in my experience it’s been great, because the administration recognizes that there are some issues with EBI, and they’ve been active about changing them and fixing the aspects that don’t work so well.”
Emma Cheung ’23:
“I love being an EBI Senior. I think when I was doing my first class I was really nervous because I had never taught a class before, and been in that teaching role. I’ve honestly really loved it, especially having a role in helping design lesson plans has felt rewarding. Being able to teach things I’m passionate about to younger students has been really great, and I feel like I’m doing my part and contributing to the campus.”
Carolina Tieppo ’24:
“Honestly, I was scared at first, because I have heard of friends who have been EBI Uppers and didn’t like it that much, but I still wanted to try it out. I thought to myself, since I have
the wonderful opportunity to be a Prefect, I might as well also use this opportunity to be an EBI Upper as well. I think I quickly became not scared anymore because my experience has been really good, and I have a really good class, teacher, and Co-Teaching Assistant. I’m excited to apply to be an EBI Senior.”
Nahila Hutchinson ’24:
“For me, I applied due to how my EBI experience was in my Freshman and Lower Year. I felt like it wasn’t very impactful, and I didn’t really like the curriculum, but I understood its importance, and I tried to engage and be a good student in those classes. I still felt like it could have been improved, so that’s a large part of why I applied. Also, I just like interacting with lowerclassmen in general, so I knew in my Lower Spring that was something I was looking forward to.”
Jack Swales ’24:
“I really do enjoy getting the chance to mentor the Freshmen in EBI. I’ve definitely seen a lot of growth in them, got to know them much better, and I’ve enjoyed every step of the way, including the tough conversations. When I first got the email to apply, I really wanted the chance to get to see all different types of students, and be in an environment with them where I can get to mentor impressional minds. This is their first year in Andover, so getting a chance to be a part of their Andover experience and helping them navigate the ways of Andover and learn more about the culture is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Chloe Rhee ’24:
“My experience has actually been really good. I know that I came into it with not very high expectations because when I had EBI my Freshman Year it was during the pandemic, so classes were virtual. I know that EBI tends to have some sort of reputation of being a little boring, but I really like my EBI class. When I was a prefect I got the opportunity to be an EBI Upper, so I felt that I might as well try. I’ve loved being an EBI Upper, and it’s something I didn’t expect. I love my class, my [EBI] instructor is Mr. [Patrick] Pothel [, Instructor in French], and he gives me lots of opportunities to teach the class. It’s been really nice to talk to Freshmen whose struggles and worries are very different from mine, and be able to offer them some advice as an upperclassman. ”
Avin Ramratnam ’24:
“At least in my experience the people in the class have gotten more used to each other, and I think that has to do with everyone in the class, not just the teachers. It’s our role to be facilitators, and then for the students to lead the discussion overtime. As an EBI Upper, you don’t expect to learn things, but it’s been a really rewarding experience because it helps me with my critical thinking, and to understand things better as well. It also helps with facilitation skills and organization, just to improve in terms of my own personal growth and to help other people.”
Elena Dainora ’23:
“I really enjoyed EBI, and I really love teaching. I feel like over the year I’ve gotten to really connect more with the students in my class, and since we get to write lesson plans, it feels like I’m making an impact on the curriculum which is important to me. I didn’t get the EBI experience that they are teaching now, but I was really inspired by my EBI Seniors, so I hope I’m doing as good a job as them.”
