Education Student Completes TAP Experience at CHOP
Hannah Ruch, junior education student, is currently completing her Teacher Apprentice Program (TAP) experience at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), an experience that differs drastically from her fellow classmates.
The idea for this unique experience was seeded by GMercyU’s Autism Conference in April 2024, where Hannah met her now-manager Stephanie, who gave a brief presentation on being a teacher at CHOP. Hannah remembers thinking, “that’s what I want to do, but I don’t know how to go about it.”
Several days later, Hannah went to Dr. Cheryl Malfi, Assistant Professor & Field Placement Coordinator for Education, explaining her desire to complete TAP at CHOP. Dr. Malfi immediately went to work to try to make it happen.
In mid-July, Dr. Malfi heard back from the representative at CHOP with the official go-ahead to move forward. Fast forward to mid-September, when Hannah began her TAP journey at CHOP.
“Immediately I got there, I’ve never felt so welcomed in my life. I told Dr. Malfi that they all knew my name and how they said, ‘Hannah, we’re so excited to have you!’” shared Hannah.
At CHOP, Hannah is shadowing six teachers, all of whom are close in age to her, making it easy to relate to and have conversations. In just a few short weeks, Hannah has capitalized on her learning and grown as a person.
“I’ve already learned so much, and you feel so grateful for what you have grown up with if you haven’t been in the hospital,” Hannah shared. “I saw these two little girls who have cancer, and they’re so happy to be alive and to be learning, and you get to see what’s important versus what’s not important.”
The learning environment is one-on-one, so Hannah observes one teacher at a time with each student. It’s a unique situation in that parents and/or guardians may be present as well as nurses and doctors, but Hannah has seen first-hand that the one-on-one environment makes the students more comfortable and allows for more bonding.
“None of the kids so far have been upset or in pain. They’re just like, ‘Let’s read a story. Let’s do our math,’” said Hannah.
When asked how the teachers at CHOP compartmentalize after being in that environment, Hannah shared that she was debriefed by Stephanie on her first day. Stephanie shared that the teachers deal with not only the loss of a patient, but also the grief the parents feel if their child was in an accident or has a chronic illness.
“I haven’t talked to the teachers one-on-one with what they deal with, but I know that they have lost patients before. So, I think it’s just the reality of the job and the environment you’re in,” said Hannah.
She’s come to realize that showing emotion is okay within the teaching profession. It’s okay to talk about anxiety and mental health, especially with the growing need for support.
“Just asking how students are feeling that day is important. I think at the hospital it’s even more important because they’re going through such a tough time mentally and physically,” Hannah said.
Hannah is excited to see what the rest of the semester brings for her TAP experience. So far, she is loving every minute of it and feels as though she’s found her calling.
Read Hannah’s full story here.