Week #2: Reflection

Coming off week two, with only two days remaining in my senior project, I am both relieved and sad. At no point did my project feel like a chore, but it was certainly exhausting having to interact with kids for five hours every day. I am definitely sad that I will not be able to see my elementary school friends every day and receive the reward of making a difference in their lives. With all of this being said, I wrote last week’s reflection on everything I have learned, and while I learned even more about myself and how to interact with kids this week, I am most surprised about my reaction and overall feelings toward my project.

I entered my project with mediocre expectations, not really knowing how the project would play out. I was thinking that I wouldn’t be very helpful to the kids I was working with, nor would I be as impactful as I was in actuality. In regard to my personal feelings about my project, I was very nervous to interact with little kids every day, as I didn’t have a lot of confidence. After a few rough babysitting experiences in my past, I had kind of deemed myself not the best at hanging out with younger kids. However, I am proud to say that I could not have been more wrong about myself. At least in the elementary school, I was helpful to many teachers, as I was another adult to help keep kids motivated and productive. I was also able to help teachers complete some preparation work to get ready for upcoming classes or projects, which was nice as I know that I actually made a difference. I was able to help kids complete some art projects and do some school work which was far more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. I had always asked myself “What makes someone want to be a teacher?” After these two weeks, I have begun to gain an understanding of the reward it is to teach a kid something, thus changing their lives and helping them grow. My volunteering was really only a small form of help, and in no way close to what educators do every day, but I have gotten a taste of what being a teacher is like, and I am both surprised and ecstatic to say I enjoyed it.

As for my personal feelings, as soon I saw the kids’ eager smiles and excited faces when I was introduced, my nerves were swept away. I realized that there is no such thing as being this perfect or ideal teacher because all the kids really care about is that you are there, supporting them and spending time with them. I found myself having fun outside in their gym classes, caught up in the amazing art projects they made for me, and absolutely honored when they would ask me to hold hands or give me a hug. While my objectives for the project did not change, and I am glad to say I successfully achieved them all, the accomplishment I am most proud of is my outlook on kids and my own ability to interact with them. The valuable lessons I have learned from this project will last me a lifetime, and I truly hope I have another experience like this in the future!  


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