*Student Aid*
By: BHS Staff Profiles
February 17, 2023
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mr. Darren Tome. Aside from Brooklyn, Mr. Tome has worked in education for a number of years. His previous stops include Cleveland and Lakewood, totaling fifteen years all together. Some hobbies he enjoys doing in his free time include hiking, exercising, bike riding, and keeping up with TV shows. A fun fact about Mr. Tome is that he did theater as a child and acted in many plays.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with children who have special needs?
A: “It’s very rewarding to try to help them because they need a lot of assistance, so I just try to help along in the learning process as much as possible, making sure their goals are met.”
Q: What is something that is most misunderstood about working in your position?
A: “A lot of people think that working with special education kids is easier than it really is. Also, maybe the challenges aren’t what they think they are or even how hard it can be if their learning process is different than other students. Most people know schooling from their own experience. They see it differently and don’t necessarily realize the type of challenges these children have.”
Q: What kind of working environment do you work best in?
A: “I like to be in a fun-working environment; we have Ms. Kay, and she’s fun. Mrs. Marsico is a lot of fun, too, and these kids are great. They love to joke around which really helps.”
Q: How do you go about helping your students?
A: “You have to understand what it is they’re trying to accomplish, so you need to know the end goals before you even start.”
Q: What is the most challenging part about being a student aid?
A: “The unexpected challenges when kids are having a rough day. Their behavior is gonna be a little off. Sometimes, the technology isn’t cooperating, and other days where everybody is a team, maybe you’re just not all on the same page.”
Q: What are you looking forward to the most about this upcoming Spring?
A: “I love Spring, and I also love to be outdoors. I’m looking forward to the weather because I love when it gets warm out. I love baseball, and I love going to baseball games. I look forward to going to some of the Guardians’ games. We have some rental houses in New York right now. I will probably take a few days off.”
Q: What is your favorite fast-food restaurant?
A: “I don’t eat a lot of fast food, but I think probably Chick-fil-A. Even though you have the line (it’s always very long), I think it’s worth it. I try to limit the amount I eat, not more than a few times a year. When I don’t feel like cooking, I get it.”
Q: Are you happy with the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl?
A: “I was rooting for Philadelphia only because the Chiefs are kind of one of our rivals. Philadelphia really isn’t. Honestly, other than that, I really didn’t care. I watched it, but I just want to see a good football game. It’s not like your hometown team where you are devastated when they lose.”
Q: If you had the power of teleportation right now, where would you go?
A: “A Caribbean Island for sure. I would go to Fiji, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Hawaii.”
Q: Would you rather explore outer space or the bottom of the ocean?
A: “Probably the bottom of the ocean, just from all the videos I’ve seen on the Discovery Channel. All of the interesting species and creatures and the shipwrecks that they haven’t even discovered yet I find to be pretty cool.”
Thank you for letting us interview you, Mr. Tome. It was great getting to know you and getting to know a little more about you, especially about your ideal vacation destinations as we deal with this frigid, Cleveland weather. Enjoy your three-day weekend!
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 