Day Twelve

 Saturday 05/20 @1:00 p.m. 

Though the hand-holding, high-fives, and hugs are truly amazing, the most rewarding part of my project has been how well the kids have remembered me. For example, Wednesday of last week I helped out in a kindergarten class for about 45 minutes one morning. They had some free time before their morning meeting so I simply sat on the floor with them and built blocks, played with puzzles, and talked with them. Fast forward a week and two days to yesterday, I stepped into the same kindergarten class to help out with their morning schedule, as their normal teacher was absent. Immediately upon my arrival, the kids began excitedly saying my name, wanting to come over to me. I was astonished the kids remembered me, but I was ecstatic to have been so important and memorable to them. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of being an important part of a kid’s day, or week. I helped one of the kindergarten boys with his spelling and writing, and though he was slightly discouraged and frustrated, my encouragement was enough to make him want to stay by my side for the rest of the day. I truly did receive an absurd number of hugs today, but it was just the kids' way of showing their genuine gratitude for me. Though working with them was certainly exhausting for the two weeks I spent in school, this feeling is extremely rewarding, making the patience, understanding, and creative problem-solving totally worth it. Below is a picture of me sitting with this kindergarten class, and if you can’t tell by their wide toothless smiles, and how they have completely clustered around me, we had a lot of fun together. 


Hours Today: 2


Total Hours: 53





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day Eleven

  Friday 05/19 @1:30 p.m. I think that kindergarteners are my new best friends. I received about 8 million hugs today, and as my new friends would say, I am all hugged out! I spent the morning helping some kids with their letters and spelling which was really fun but also exhausting. With this being my last day working in one of the schools, the amount of gratitude and appreciation I have for teachers is inexplicable; their patience and dedication are beyond impressive. The little dude I worked with today kept getting frustrated, as he was struggling to write his letters and spell some words. I was doing my best to help him and keep him motivated but it was significantly harder than I would have thought. Thankfully, the class’s spelling and writing block came to a close shortly after. As someone who isn’t the best at comforting little kids, I was glad to move on to something else as I didn’t feel fully equipped to try and help him with his work and keep the kid from getting so upset.
Read more

Week #1: Reflection

Week one of my senior project, Educating in Ecuador Preparation, was a challenging yet fun, and exhausting yet exhilarating learning experience. The week had its ups and downs, and there were certainly points where I wanted to sit down and stop. However, the feeling of utter reward after working with kids and being an impactful part of their day, outweighed the difficulties I encountered. The valuable life lessons I have learned from students and educators in a mere week are unmatched.  After observing and helping a handful of teachers in both Hanover Street Elementary School and Lebanon Middle School, I have seen quite a variety of teaching styles. Teachers who offer more constructive feedback and try to push kids towards solutions when they are struggling or there is conflict are more times than not, successful. Gentle criticism, especially with younger elementary school-aged kids, was far more productive than abrasive yelling or critiquing. Little kids respond positively to suggesti
Read more

Day Nine

  Wednesday 05/17 @11:00 p.m.  Hugs, high fives, and holding hands oh my! I was back in elementary school again today, which is a HUGE change from working in middle school. Yet, I think I prefer working with elementary students as opposed to middle schoolers, which is not at all how I expected to feel. I love how the smallest things bring them so much joy. The middle schoolers I have worked with are caught up on their phones, social media, and lots of senseless drama, whereas the younger kids have yet to succumb to the pressure of technology. Their happiness is so pure and I love experiencing their days with them, the happiness it brings me is inexplicable. My day was very short, so I helped out with a gym class, which was slightly brutal solely because it was outside. However, I got to spend time with my kindergarten friends which is always fun and they remembered me from the previous week. I feel this massive sense of accomplishment when they ask to hold my hand or for my help and
Read more