Education
Thousand Oaks High School
Beginning Peer Mentoring
Education Aide
Advanced Peer Mentoring
Are you interested in becoming a teacher or working in the field of education? Do you want to give a voice to causes that will help our campus and our community? Our Education Pathway equips students to learn to think and act like teachers! You will have the opportunity to create lesson plans, learn a variety of teaching strategies and understand the world of teaching like never before. Our course culminates with each of our students completing a fieldwork experience at a CVUSD elementary classroom. Plus, through our mentoring course, you can get involved and make a difference. Take the first step to a career in education and start your journey today!
This Pathway teaches you ...
- How to engage in community service opportunities
- How to plan and facilitate support programs for those in need
- How to work as part of a team to accomplish a goal
- Skills to build connections to support individuals in need
- Problem solving techniques and how to raise awareness for mental health services
- The journey to becoming a teacher
- About schools' role in society
- An introduction to academic standards
- How to develop lesson plans for the elementary classroom
Real-world opportunities through this Pathway include ...
- Lunch Bunch: Peer mentors invite all students to come and hang out four days a week at lunch to play games, laugh and support one another; mentors also facilitate special events like movie days and holiday parties
- AIM Buddies: Each peer mentor is paired with a student in the Autism Program at TOHS; mentors help plan activities for their buddies and meet with their buddies weekly to participate in fun activities together
- Outreach: Throughout the year, peer mentors host activities to build a positive school community, using posters, chalk art and window painting to put forth positive and informational messages; mentors also publicize programs for the TOHS Wellness Center
- Committees: Each quarter, students form committees to advance the objectives of the Peer Mentoring Program; students determine the committees needed each quarter, but often include AIM Buddies, Lunch Bunch, Mental Health, Public Relations, Outreach and Fundraising
- Leadership Council: Advanced Peer Mentors have the opportunity to serve in a designated leadership role for the year; members of the leadership council plan and execute weekly class activities and oversee the work of all of the various committees in education, child development and family services
- Leading small group lessons for children
- Opportunity to be creative and create projects and lesson plans for students
- Providing academic support for students who are struggling
- Using time management skills to pace your daily lessons
- Day-to-day experiences of a classroom teacher
This Pathway will prepare me for …
The Education Pathway prepares you for a plethora of careers where you can incorporate your caring spirit and apply your drive to improve the world around you. This program will strengthen your belief that you can make a difference and your voice matters. From teacher, to counselor, to front office support, to mentor, to administrator, each of these roles will be introduced throughout these courses and provide you the experience and education to map out your future!
What our students are saying ...
“My best memory (from Peer Mentoring) is walking around school with my special buddy and how excited he was when we found something on the scavenger hunt.”
- Sam H.
“I liked how we studied different types of lessons and activities. It has really opened my eyes to a career in education. I realized how hard teachers work in their preparation of lesson plans and activities. This class has prepared me for my fieldwork experience at the elementary school and a job as a teacher.
- Braulio B., 12th grade
"This class allowed me to look into how much teachers do each day in the classroom and what it takes to become a teacher. Writing my resume was really helpful and allowed me to see my future from the professional perspective."
- Kiona S.
Check out our students’ work!
About the Pathway teachers
Anna Sobrino has been teaching in the Conejo Valley since 2000. Her journey started with middle school music and has led today to preparing high school students for college, career and life. For Mrs. Sobrino, the best part of teaching is building relationships with students and watching them grow. In her free time, she enjoys reading, scrolling Facebook, and spending time outdoors with her husband and three children.
Ashley Cooper has taught at TOHS for 20 years. During that time she has been a science teacher, soccer coach and Link Crew/Peer Mentoring advisor, but she currently serves as the career education coordinator for TOHS. Her passion for developing curriculum and connecting students to learning opportunities that will open doors to their future keeps her excited to come to work each day. Mrs. Cooper oversees the ETHOS Academy, the CTE Department and the TOHS Majors Program. In her spare time, Mrs. Cooper enjoys spending time with her family hiking or road tripping and attending events supporting her daughters.