Each One Teach One

On the last day of classes, Middle School students and teachers engaged in “chaotic fun,” “intense workouts,” and “calming, therapeutic” sessions. Each one was taught not by the teachers but by the students. The experience, called Each One Teach One, was an optional “student-led, student-run, and student-coordinated” opportunity for peer-to-peer learning. The Middle School office team explained that the sessions were intended to cultivate student leadership, illuminate some productive ways to spend time, and invite Middle School students to listen to and learn from each other.

Kwaw ’25 led a workshop on juggling with his brother Kofi ’23. He said, “The Each One Teach One workshop was very fun. I feel that most people learned something from the workshop. I might do it again next year if the opportunity arises.” Middle School science teacher Michael Desautels had the opportunity to serve as faculty host to Kwaw and Kofi’s virtual workshop. He said, “It was lovely to see kids teaching kids. Kids were juggling and throwing balls all over the place/screen. It was chaotic fun.”

During a workshop called “Confidence is Key,” Lexi ’25, who describes herself as “a pretty confident person now, who wasn’t always confident” described some of the social pressures on teen appearance and behavior, particularly from social media. “In the world we are living in, I think there are social pressures of how teens should act,” she explained. “I think it is very important to have confidence and be able to break the “rules” on how teens should look and act. The experience of leading a workshop was wonderful, and I learned a lot from my peers who participated.”  

Other sessions ranged from a Middle School student sharing their coming-out story to help peers who might be thinking of coming out, a tutorial on making a TikTok video, and chess skills to cake frosting, freestyling, staying fit, and painting. Students also joined sessions where they made smoothies, cooked pasta, or learned to breakdance.

"I led a workshop with some of my friends that taught people how to make a few tasty summer drinks,” Zoe ’26 said. Anjali ’26 explained how after teaching some mixing and “muddling” tactics, participants made their own summer spritzers. “Everyone was so creative!” she said. Zoe added, “I thought it was awesome that GDS students got a chance to lead one another, and I think this shows that even through the hardest of times, Hoppers can still find a way to create joy for others around them!" 

Sanae, who led a pencil drawing session, echoed the same excitement at learning from the creativity of her peers in attendance. She said, “It was really nice to see all the different variations of the strategy I presented. Each person changed the technique to [meet] their standards, and all of them looked amazing.”

Math teacher Jana Rupp hosted Sanae’s drawing session and observed the way Sanae encouraged her students to use the people around them as a model for their drawings in the future. “Sanae used her energetic sisters as her muses which resulted in drawings of active people,” she said. “I'm looking forward to using my new knowledge of drawing to engage in creative endeavors over the summer.” Jana’s pencil drawing appears above (we added the juggling balls inspired by Kwaw and Kofi’s session).

Theo ’26, Nathaniel ’24, and Amelia ’24 kept participants active in their respective sessions: a 20-minute soccer lesson, an arm-strength workout, and a flexibility workshop. “I had a great time leading others through a series of basic skills that were challenging, helpful in games, and fun,” Theo  said. “I really enjoyed Each One Teach One and hope it becomes an annual tradition at GDS!”

Jana explained how Nathaniel led students in a comprehensive arm workout that included everything from bicep curls to diamond push-ups. She said “He carefully explained and demonstrated the moves. The workout was intense but moved quickly due to how he planned the different sets and timing of the moves. I'm still sore today!”

“I was lucky to host Amelia’s workshop,” said Middle School office manager Vida Rivera. “It was awesome to see Amelia go through the different stretches for the beginning stages of how to eventually do splits. She was mindful of beginners and showed different modified versions. She was observant of student's form and posture and assisted those if they needed extra guidance. Students were stretching in their room, backyards, and living rooms. It was also very calming and therapeutic during a busy last day of school—very much needed!”

Sosi ’26, who co-led the TikTok Tutorial, agreed, saying, “Each One Teach One was a really fun experience. It was fun to collaborate with friends who shared the same knowledge and hobbies to band together and share it with everyone else. I also loved how they were all student-led workshops.”

Music teacher John Barnes noted his excitement at seeing students in both sessions he hosted—”Easy Recipes” and “Chess at Home”—fully engaged. “Kids made recipes right along with Ryan ’26 and Sarah ’26 and were super encouraging. 7th graders Beck and Lock's session was inspiring because it was entirely over my head! Their fellow chess aficionados seemed to be following along and were asking really engaging questions.”

Callie ’25 and Grace ’25 aimed to create a dialogue space for their peers to discuss what a summer spent at home under quarantine might look and feel like. “Our primary goal was for our fellow middle schoolers to feel free and not judged throughout this thoughtful, online interaction,” they explained. “Instead of one leader, we attempted to create a space where every person could have a chance to have their voice heard.”

In what might be the sweetest metaphor for Each One Teach One, Charlotte ’26 taught her peers how to frost a cake that looked “so yummy,” according to Michael, that “everyone agreed it made them hungry.” As Middle School students closed out the year, they were left hungry for more time with peers, meaningful learning experiences...and cake.