On Thursday, Jan. 28, 52 peer teaching students went on a field trip to the Ballwin Pointe to learn new lessons about character to teach middle school students. Visits to the middle school are planned to take place on Feb. 24, as well as March 1, 9 and 15.

“We learned about the four basic lessons that we are going to teach. I hope the kids listen to what we are saying. There are certain topics that will come up later in their lives,” junior Alyssa Fleming said.

Peer Teachers created lesson plans about wisdom, responsible decision making, integrity and leaving your mark.

“The veteran Peer Teachers taught us the lessons as if we were middle schoolers. They gave us helpful tips. They reminded us that middle schoolers look up to us and that we really are role models. We have a lesson plan we have to follow to convey our message,” junior Kyle Hidalgo said.

The students got into groups, each with two veterans and two rookies. The veterans guided the rookies on how the lessons were going to play out.

“It’s nice to know what we’re doing since I’ve done it before. This year, the veterans have a lot more responsibility. We have to make sure all the little details are in place and help out the rookies,” senior Abby Allgeyer said.

Each student also recorded a video called “Dear 13 Year Old Me” during the session, sharing a message or piece of advice with their younger selves.

“I told myself to strive for whatever I wanted to be and aim for my dreams,” Hidalgo said.

Peer teachers also had to chaperone middle school mixers that were sponsored by Parkway’s Safe and Drug-Free (SADF) program

“The mixers were actually pretty fun. Demi [Another peer teacher] and I were the only ones dancing at the North mixer. We got to know some middle schoolers and had a better time than we expected,” Fleming said.

This was the second retreat the peer teaching students went on. In November, the rookie peer teachers went on a retreat to Camp Wyman for an introduction to peer teaching.

“Going to the retreat in November really helped me think about where I want to be in life and what’s important to me. It helped me realize everyone is dealing with issues and be more open and accepting,” Hidalgo said.