What is the English word for a student who helps the teacher in class?

[tulipflower]

What is the English word for a student who helps the teacher in class? For example, he/she helps in checking the student's homework, keeping the class organized when the teacher is away, etc. In Persian, we have a word like 'representative' in English for that student.

 

[MikeNewYork]

We have teachers' aides for that, not usually students in the class.

 

[Rover_KE]

In the UK, they're teaching assistants (salaried adults — never other class students, though older college students on teaching practice can be given these responsibilites under the supervision of the class teacher).

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't know whether this still happens, but when I was at first/middle school (primary/junior schools) between the ages of 5 and 12, some pupils were given various responsibilities. Some were "pencil monitor" (handing out pencils to the other pupils). Some were "milk monitors" (in the 70s, each schoolchild was given a small bottle of milk each day and someone stood in the hallway handing the bottles out). In middle school (ages 8-12), the "best" pupils were given more responsibilities. I was one of those pupils! I was sometimes asked to sit in the front of the class and read out loud to the rest of the group. I also gave reading and spelling 'tests' to other pupils, using flashcards. It should be pointed out that the teacher was always in the classroom when this was happening so I was never left alone in charge of a group of my peers. I don't think the teachers had an official name for the pupils they chose for this but the other pupils certainly did - teacher's pet, girly swot, and others I can't repeat. As you might have guessed, I was very popular with the teachers but not with my classmates. :-?

Once I reached secondary school, this simply did not happen. The teacher was the only person in charge of the class at all times. Some of them weren't great at it!

 

[Raymott]

Yes, we had monitors too.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Hello, Tulipflower:

In my American city's secondary schools, students may get graduation credit for being a T.A. (teacher's assistant).

Instead of attending a class (such as algebra, French, chemistry, etc.), a student can sign up to be a T.A. She or he will spend one period (about an hour) helping, for example, the American history teacher. Duties could involve such things as taking notes to the office, passing out books to the students, erasing the chalk- or whiteboard, and sometimes marking multiple-choice examinations.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I was also the milk monitor in elementary school. Interesting.

 

[Tdol]

Yes, we had monitors too.

We had monitors and prefects. :-(

 

[emsr2d2]

We had monitors in first and middle school and then deputy prefects and prefects in secondary school.