As students progress through Westside, they may notice a growing abundance of speciality classes they can take only as upperclassman. Popular classes that fall into this category include Marketing, Business Law and AP science classes. A different class, Senior Leadership Seminar (SLS), is becoming increasing popular at Westside.

SLS is a class in which seniors get the opportunity to co-teach a class with a teacher they had previously.

“They may teach large group, they may do small group, they may do labs, they can work with a small group of kids or tutor a kid one-on-one,” said SLS instructor Vicki Londer. “It is about the students giving back to the school.”

The class has been an option to seniors at Westside for seven years when the principal at the time, Pat Hutchings, proposed the idea after seeing it presented at a conference. She, Londer and Westside science instructor Brenda Zabel worked together to bring the class to Westside.

“We thought it would be benficial,” Londer said. “The amount of growth that student has [is a benefit], just from the first day that they walk in, when they are too nervous to teach a large group and by the end of the semester they are teaching large groups by themselves.”

In addition to the confidence and leadership skills senior students gain, younger students who are in the classroom while an SLS student is teaching say they benefit. Younger students have the ability to see SLS students for extra help and tutoring outside the classroom if they are having trouble understanding their teacher and they can create a bond and trust with the older students.

“When an SLS student comes into our class it is inspiring,” said Miranda Thacker, a student in an SLS taught calss, “To see a student want to come back and teach because it really shows how much the material impacted them when they were a student.”

SLS students teach a class twice a week. They may present a lesson or help students in groups, giving them a chance to get to know the students they are working with. Once a week they meet with the teacher they are co-teaching with and plan the classes they are teaching for the next week. On some Fridays they will also attend the seminar part of the class in which they listen to guest speakers from the community talk about leadership.

“There are challenges in SLS, but I know I am gaining responsibility and leadership,” said senior Caroline Arant, who is taking SLS. “I have to schedule my own meeting each week and I know that the teachers are counting on me to be there. Sometimes there can be problems with younger students and I have to step up and deal with them.”

SLS is a semester class open to any senior at Westside. If you are interested in SLS to sign up for the class this February.