service learning 11-16

Friday at my service learning I went for four hours so I could make up the time that I'll miss next week. I worked with a group of kids on math. I find it a challenge to find ways to explain it it terms that they'll understand, but when they finally understand it its such a great feeling. After math we worked on spelling. One of the second graders is at a preschool reading level so this was a challenge. We had to work on writing sentences and he was struggling so much that it was heartbreaking. Finally we got through the assingments and he was so frustrated that he started to get upset. So on the fly I thought of pulling out a work sheet that he had completed earlier and showed him that he had gotten a sticker and he was so smart. He asked me if I really meant it and I said of course and it was so happy. We had an inside recess later and he brought me his favorite game which was Connect Four. He beat me twice and he was so happy it made me happy. When it was finally time for me to leave he gave me a big hug and thanked me for playing with him and I found myself a bit choked up. I think that he helped me more than I helped him that day.

Service Learning Novemeber 9

Friday in class we worked on math and reading. I worked with a girl who was having a really bad day because as she told me her dad and mom got into another big fight the night before and didn't get much sleep. I tried to tell her that things would work out and she said she just didn't think so anymore. It was so heartbreaking to have a second grader sound so dejected and sad. As I work with these kids I'm learning that teaching a lesson plan is going to be the least of my problems somedays and I going to have to learn how to connect to kids that getting a math problem wrong is the last thing their going to worry about. I am grateful for this opportunity to gain the experience of encountering these problems now and I am grateful that Mrs. Eby is there to help show me how to deal with them. Teaching is defiently a proffesion that takes a lot of different approaches to be a good teacher. And you have to be able to connect with twenty some different emotions and different backgrounds that all have an effect on each students day.

Service Learning November 2

Friday during my service learning there was an akward moment that really hit me hard. The teacher was reading a story about the first Thanksgiving and one of the little African American boys raised his hand and asked where all the black people were at. The teacher looked at me first and I had a blank stare on my face. I was amazed how this little boy could see that and understand that was unsual. The teacher told him that they were still in Africa and would come over on a later ship. What she left out was the horrid story of how they did end up coming here. It was a sad moment because it made me realize that never have I ever wondered where my race was in a children's book. The Color of Fear came to my mind and this was a wake up call and a kinda pinch on the arm to show me that I truly have benefited from the "White Privilege". After this happend I thought to myself, what are some of the things I can do to make sure that I incorporate stories that have non-whites as the lead characters and also show the students in my classroom a story on their heritage. This truly was a wake up call and a kick in the behind that I feel I needed to learn how to deal with this issue that is not going to go anywhere soon.