This article was written by Kaylee TerHaar-Parks
Walking the halls of Northview high school is a group of students who know some lessons cannot be written on a whiteboard. For them, lessons unfold in the tender moments of a lost tooth or the pride of helping a student believe in themselves. Lessons come in moments small enough to miss; powerful enough to remember.
At Northview, the Student Educators and Listeners (SEALS) program offers students the space to explore the bright buzzing world of education. Students apply to the SEALS program the year prior to their current one in hopes of being chosen for entry. Once accepted they spend an hour a day, four days a week mentoring young students, learning to balance the responsibility and leadership that comes with being a role model.
SEALS are placed in a high school, middle school, or one of the three elementary school classrooms to offer help to students. They help with reading, leading small group activities in subjects like science, math and phonics, and various other small moments that teachers can’t always reach. Created to give classrooms an extra set of hands and a caring heart, the program now serves Northview as a bridge between grades, ages, and lives. Here amongst the busy hallways and final exams, there’s a group of students who aren’t just preparing for college, some are already shaping the next generation.
Northview’s SEALS instructor James Haveman believes the smallest moments can shape the strongest learners. If SEALS is a class built on connection, then Haveman is the steady voice reminding students why their presence matters. For Haveman the program doesn’t just help younger students, he watches as it shapes the high schoolers themselves. To him, the program teaches something deeper than tutoring, it teaches patience, empathy, and how to show up for others who count on you.
“The biggest thing kids learn is to give back. Give back to other people, give back to the community. They learn how to interact with other people, other kids. They have to deal with sometimes good behavior, and oftentimes, they’ll have to deal with some kids that are a little bit naughty,” Haveman said. “So learning to redirect behavior and be the adult in the room, even though they’re still students, is a task that is difficult at first, but they get better at it with time.”
Every day, Haveman sees the quiet exchanges revealing a deeper connection than ever expected. What truly stays with Haveman most isn’t the academic progress, it’s the way the younger kids care so much about the high school students, treating them like heroes in hoodies and sneakers.
“The most important thing I see is how much the kids love our SEALS students, and how much the high school students mean to the younger kids. They’ll come back after vacations or Christmas, and they’ll get presents or letters or drawings,” Haveman said. “They’ll get hugs from the little kids on occasion, but the little kids love our high school students, and they look forward to seeing them every day.”
From the younger students perspective, the SEALS program lasts longer than the school year has to offer. To second grade student Crew H., senior SEALS student Keegan Breuker wasn’t just a high school helper, she was a light in the classroom.
“She helped us with spelling words, she’s super nice and she did crafts with us, we made a paper gingerbread man,” Crew said. “She was kind of like a teacher because she helped us with spelling words and everyone gave her hugs.”
The impact of a SEALS student stretches far beyond the walls of the classroom. For Carmela H. a second grade student at North Oakview Elementary, Breuker became more than a helper. She became a presence demonstrating just how deeply this program can weave bonds between students of all ages.
“She helped me a lot, she helped me with a project that was a Christmas tree,” Carmela said. “She was like my big sister.”
The most rewarding moments in the SEALS program aren’t always the loud achievements. To junior SEALS student Brody Jesse, they’re quiet moments of trust building and unfolding over time. It’s in the small shifts in a shy voice growing a little stronger that he sees the true heart of the program.
“When I get to help them, a lot of it is with stuff I’m able to relate to,” Jesse said. “During their reading time, I get to take them out in the hall and ask them questions about their book, so the teacher and I can kind of see who’s actually reading and understand what they’re reading. With one of the students, he’s a little more shy and more nervous. . . and I noticed, throughout going in the hall with him, he got more comfortable talking, which is just cool to see.”
There is always more to a student’s behavior than meets the eye. For Jesse, being a SEALS student has been more than just school. It opened a window into the lives of his students, reminding him that understanding their stories is just as important as helping them read the one on their desk.
“When I’m helping them it’s hard because obviously you never know what someone’s going through, and there was a time where there was a student, he was sleeping during reading time, and first, you’re just like ‘Oh, he doesn’t want to read or he might not like his book,’” Jesse said. “But after talking to the teacher they were telling me they have things going on in their life and that helped me realize education is important, but sometimes kids have other stuff at home.”
For the younger students, SEALS aren’t just helpers, their guidance makes learning feel more accessible. With senior SEALS student Summer Swanzy by his side, fourth grade student at North Oakview Elementary, Levi O, finds once tricky math problems forming into clarity and understanding. With the presence of a SEALS student like Summer, Levi knows he’s not alone and has her support.
“She helps us in math. If you don’t know a question then you can get help,” Levi said.
Kelly Putnam, a second grade teacher at North Oakview Elementary, continues to open her classroom doors, welcoming SEALS students to observe and immerse themselves in the world of teaching. To Putnam, hosting a SEAL is more than an extra set of hands, it’s allowing them the space to feel the rhythm of working with children, to experience the laughter, the questions, and the challenges that come along with it. Most importantly she continues to help them discover themselves through the program.
“I know that there’s high school students that love kids as much as I do, and I wanted to give them an opportunity to work with kids and see if that’s what they want to do for their future,” Putnam said. “I think that it’s hard for a high schooler to know ‘what do I want to do in life?’ and I think that just getting an experience of ‘this is what this job looks like’ and kind of getting a taste or flavor on ‘do I love being around kids?’ or ‘do I not love being around kids?’”
Putnam sees a SEALS student as more than just a helper. To her their the gift of extra care and warmth in the quiet hum of her classroom. From helping students sound out words to assisting with math problems, a SEALS student fills the space that a busy classroom might overlook, offering support to the kids who might just need a little extra connection.
“Just that extra help and support for students that need a little extra time and one on one. As a teacher with 20 plus students in the classroom. It’s just nice that we can give a little focus area. Sometimes even not just academically, but just a little extra bonus time with someone else that cares about them,” Putnam said. “It might be a kid that just needs someone to read quietly in the hall. It might be whole class support during writing time, which is a super busy time and everyone needs help. It might just be the relief of an extra helping hand to find a pair of mittens that’s lost or walk a student to lunch that’s running late.”
SEALS students bring more than just help to Northview’s buildings. They bring energy, empathy, and a sense of community that transforms classrooms district wide. To Putnam, a SEALS student brings a spark to North Oakview. Their energy, generosity, and willingness to infuse the room with an uplifting spirit is really the heart of the program.
“The value that high school students bring it’s so cool, to walk around North Oakview and see all the SEALS students in here doing a variety of different things. It might be just sitting and talking to a student or just spending time with them,” Putnam said. “I just think that volunteerism and philanthropy, and just the spirit that that brings and the energy of high school students too, it’s definitely a bonus. It’s amazing.”
The SEALS program doesn’t just support classrooms, it shapes futures. The program gives high school students a space to step into a classroom not just as helpers, but as listeners, encouragers and most importantly role models. It provides younger students with someone who celebrates their victories no matter the size and stands by their side when learning feels hard. In every classroom touched by a SEALS student, you can feel the small moments shaping both students on either side of the desk. Northview holds this program close to our hearts as E.B White author of Charlotte’s Web, reminds us, “A teacher is a friend who helps you see the world from a different angle.”
Leave a Reply