Culminating Blog

My final decision to complete my hours was at an afterschool program because I wanted to get a better idea of what I enjoy doing. I have a four year old brother and throughout these past years, I have learned that raising a kid the correct way is difficult. Also, I wanted to discover different methods and tricks to properly raise my little brother. I thought to myself, "what better place than a school with students and teachers?" My little brother, Dylan, attends this program called Leo J. Ryan Child Care Center. Therefore, it was easy to introduce myself to the teachers.
This experience has taught me a lot. First, I learned to come out of my shell. I am comfortable speaking to adults, but sometimes I get intimidated. Asking a random person to be my mentor and explaining what this whole project is about was very frightening. I think that it was the first obstacle that overcame.
Communicating with adults and children is very different. I learned that children need more attention and time to process things. For example, during tutoring my students tended to distract themselves, and others. Therefore, it was my job to attentively explain why they had to continue doing their homework with me. I explained that it was better for them to finish their homework during the afterschool program instead of  completing it in their house because there would be more distractions in and around their house. For example, many children during the age of six are more likely to get distracted by toys, games, and especially technology.
Working with children requires a lot of creativity in order to make learning fun and enjoyable. In many times, after finishing their homework, I assigned small projects for the students. While working with fabric, I assigned them a goal. I made something for a very special person, I drew hearts and other stuff that had a meaning. Then, I wanted them to think of someone who makes them happy and explain in their project why they chose that person. This particular project was successful because my students had fun. Collaboration was a big part of my project because I had to work with two other people, in this case two teachers. Although, my mentor, told me what to do or how to do something, I still had to come up with ideas and combine it with my mentor.
I not only learned new things about children, but I grew as a person. Personally, I learned to be more patient because children require a lot of time. Since they are younger, they need more time to process things and actually understand. It's very frustrating to deal with children when they are misbehaving. A lot of people give up and decide to give the children what they're asking for. This is call falling into an unstoppable trap. For example, when I was tutoring, this specific student always wanted me to do her homework by pretending like she didn't know what she was doing. I once, almost, did her homework because she was getting tired and annoying, but then I remembered that it was her work and she was going to benefit from completing it, not me! In conclusion, patience is the key to work with children. I am more patient with my students and my little brother. I consider myself a very social person, I'm quiet friendly and know how to speak to different people. I can say that after this experience, I have better communication skills. Like I mentioned before, I learned to communicate with children. The brain of child is at a stage compared to adults, therefore, there is a big difference in comprehending things. I know what the right way is to talk to a kid. For example, when asking my student to pick up a pencil that they purposely threw on the floor, I typically would say: "Please pick that pencil up", but then I learned that its best to say : "May you please pick up that pencil that you threw on the floor, we don't throw things a round, especially not a pencil because that can hurt someone". There are different methods when talking to children.
Although I didn't face many challenges during my experience, there were a few that I was able to overcome. Since each classroom had two teachers, I was considered a "helper". At the beginning some students wanted to call me "teacher", but there were a few who would say "she's not a teacher, she's only volunteering" They were correct, but this made them not pay as much attention to me. The biggest challenge was the lack of authority. When I told them to do something, of course in a friendly way, they would sometimes respond by saying "No, you're not a teacher to tell me what to do!" At the beginning I didn't know what to say, I eventually learned what to respond. My respond now was "No I am not your teacher, but you are under my supervision and what I'm telling you to do is for your benefit, not mine" Also, since our classroom consisted of about twenty students, it was hard to get one on one contact with my mentor. She did guide me through this process and helped me learn a lot about children, but not having direct contact with her was tough.
While entering this project, I didn't think that it was going to help me that much. I thought that I was going to help the program by volunteering, and that my presence was going to make an impact on my students, but they actually made an impact on me.

Play-Doh (May 6,2014)

Today was a sunny but windy day, therefore, we didn't play outside for that long. This time I was assigned table 1 since there were more students that needed to complete homework. I had a total of eight kids, five finished early and the rest didn't. Today was a bit more difficult because I worked with students that usually don't do homework with me since they do it at home, but this time they did it with me. While we were working on homework, students kept distracting each other. This made the process much longer. One student began to get lazy and decided not to do homework, she was telling me to read the directions for her. I told her that I wanted her to read the directions out loud but she tried telling me that teachers are supposed to read the directions for the students. I said "No Gaby, please read me the directions out loud so that we can both understand what you have to do." Luckily, she understood and read the directions. I learned that students try to take advantage since they get lazy but it's up to me if I give in and just give them the answer. Patience is key!
After, we had some fun and played with play-doh. We sat in table 2, the kids helped set up the supplies and began working right away. I told them to sculpt their favorite food. A few made thin strings, which represented spaghetti, and others made waffles since it was the easiest thing to make. One of my student decided to get creative and made a hot dog, it came out really nice. One student was misbehaving, she constantly kept saying mean things to other students and me. I tried talking to her but she didn't listen. I told her that she was a nice big girl that shouldn't be acting like that. She responded by saying that I was being to her, I said that I was only telling her to behave. She later understood and began to behave.
Today was a rough day, I dealt with good and bad attitudes. I tried my best to keep my cool and be patient. It was an efficient day.



Time logged for today: 2 hrs
Total time logged: 25 hrs

 

 

 

Cinco de Mayo (May 5,2014)

Today was a really busy day! First I arrived during outdoor playtime. We played four-square and then volleyball for about an hour. It was a nice day to be outside because it was not too hot or too cold, it was the perfect weather. While we were playing, one of my students wasn't letting other students join us. She stopped the game right after another student joined the game, she began to get really upset. The other kids were yelling at that certain student to hurry up and play, then they began to get bothered. I had to talk to that student and explain what she was doing was unfair. After talking to her, she decided to leave and play something else with her friend. I learned to communicate in order to resolve a conflict.
During homework time, I was in charge of Table 2. I had five students, all working on their packet. Like usual, two of them finished quickly while the other ones didn't. The students that took longer to complete their homework were the same ones as the previous days. At one point, one boy was so loud that he distracted everyone from doing their homework. I had to talk to him a bunch of times, I repeated myself but he didn't understand. I told him that he was not only distracting himself but those around him. Besides him, the other two students did take their time but they actually finished all their homework.
After, we celebrated "Cinco de Mayo" by making quesadillas with beans. The students were in charge of making their own hand-made tortilla. We, adults, made the flour and beans. They had make a small ball and place it on the flattener. They were so happy and excited to eat what they made. Some even ate extra beans! I think they were hungry... For the remaining time, we played board games.

Time logged for today: 3 hrs
Total time logged: 23 hrs

Busy Day (April 29, 2014)

Another hot day! Since we were short on staff and the day was pretty hot, we stayed inside the classroom. First, we completed homework. Ms. Ann and Mayra were absent so I was in charge of the homework table and Teacher Helena was in charge of the other stuff. I had around six kids in my table. The usual ones finished their homework pretty quickly, but the other ones were not. I find that younger students have problem with focusing and completing their work. It takes longer for those who keep chatting. I was doing homework with my students for about an  hour.
After, we played with the chalk board! I thought it would be a good idea to put incorporate some math, therefore, I wrote some sum problems and my students had to answer them. Some had trouble, while others didn't. They seem to have fun, they tried competing with each other to see who was faster at solving the equations. On the bad side, the table got really dirty so we had to clean the stains.
I walked around the classroom to see what everyone was doing. Some were using the computers, while others played with Legos. All of them were in task, which was good because Ms. Ann would've been very proud of them. Later, Mayra arrived and took over Ceci, another teacher, since another class needed staff. Since the girls are closer to me, they always ask me to play with them. Therefore, I played board games for another hour. It was so fun, I enjoy spending time with my students.

Time logged for today: 3 hrs
Total time logged: 20 hrs

Sunny Day and Bubbles (April 7, 2014)

Today was a sunny day, it was the perfect weather to blow bubbles and run around. I arrived during my students playtime. I was very happy to see them since I wasn't able to volunteer last week. I could tell that they were also happy to see me, they're smiles and hugs is what I enjoy seeing. We played for about twenty minutes, we blew bubbles and attempted to play with the jump rope. Later, we went inside the classroom and worked on homework. I sat in table 2, as usual, with about five kids. One student, Jonas, finished very quickly and got to play games right after. I was having trouble with one student because he is very friendly and loves chit chat a lot so the other students tend to get distracted. It took about forty minutes or less for all my students to finish. I learned that my "friendly" student works better when he's alone. I am slowly learning to have a lot of patience with students that tend to get distracted easily and don't do what they're supposed to. I see that Ms. Ann, my mentor, tries to talk to the student first, then she explains what they are doing and what they're actually supposed to be doing. First, I told him that he was distracting other kids and talking too much. Then, I told him that he should be doing work because his mom was going to pick him up pretty soon and it was better for him to finish it at school than at home. He decided to cooperate and do finish all his homework. For the remaining time, we played board games. Today was a good day, very sunny and pretty.



Time logged for today : 3 hrs
Total time logged: 17 hrs

Bannana milkshake/Fabric (March 11, 2013)

On Tuesday it was a hot day! We played outside for abut forty minutes, it was so hot that my students were sweating. We finally went inside, Ms. Ann had a surprise for them! There were three tables set up; table one was to make banana milkshake, table two table was to work on a project using fabric, and table three was homework. I was in table two working with fabric. Since I was in charge, I told them to cut a big piece and then decorated it with more fabric or glitter. I had three students, one was making a heart for her mom. The other two were adding different color glitter to the fabric, which was unique because it looked like  one of Picasso's art work. After, we played with dolls and game boards. Everyone wanted began to argue because they wanted to play with me at the same time. I don't like to see my students fight over me, so I decided to come up with a plan. I told them to choose a board game where we can all play together. Some chose not to play at all, but others voted on the game UNO. At the end we all played happily. I learned that I have to come up with a plan that everyone agrees on. This took patience and cooperation since there were more than five kids. I learn something each day. I can use this method at my house with my four year brother.

Time logged for this session: 2 hrs
Total time logged: 14 hrs

Birthday Cards (February 27, 2014)

It was a very special day! It was Lillya's, the director of the daycare program, birthday so we mainly focused on making birthday cards for her since she's a very hard working person.  We were outside playing for about thirty minutes, we played with the jump rope and sang songs. The reasons why I enjoy children is because I remember many memories from my childhood. They make me feel like a little kid again. I noticed that the girls tend to follow me more than the boys, but there are times where the boys want to play soccer with me.
 After, we washed our hands and sat in groups. Ms. Ann passed out a bright pink piece of paper that said "Happy birthday Lillya" for the children to copy. All of them were really happy and excited to make the card since they appreciate her a lot! There was a variety of paper and colors to choose from, I learned that children tend to be more excited and enjoy doing work with cool supplies. It stimulates their mind. Also, working as a group motivates them to work together and share supplies.We worked on the cards for about forty minutes, for those who finished early were allowed to use the computers to play educational games or play board games.
 I'm in charge of staying with the kids that tend work slower than everyone else. Kids who usually work slower is because they get distracted very easily so its hard for them to focus and actually get work done. I usually spend extra twenty minutes working with them. I enjoy having one on one time with my kids because I get to know them and understand what works for them.

Time logged for this session: 3 hrs
Total time logged: 12 hrs

Scavenger Hunt (February 25, 2014)

Today was a fun day since it was "Scavenger Hunt" day! It was a weird coincidence because I also had a scavenger hunt during my French class, but this time we were outside in the nature. There were three teams of four, the goal was to find things from a list that Mayra, another teacher that works there, wrote and then put it in their bag. In this case their "bag" was a gallon water bottle which was big enough to use. The kids went around everywhere looking for the hidden treasure . It was a fun and educational day because the kids were having fun without knowing that they were working as a team. In my opinion it is very important to know how to work with others since many jobs from today require group work. My kids are learning good communication skills and other different fundamental skills that will help them in school. After we finished, we went inside the classroom to see who found most things from the list.
 We went inside and sat with our group. Each group was given a paper towel to place the things on since most of them had dirt. The group that collected most of the things was Group 2. They were really happy because there was a prize for them! Mayra went to the closet and grabbed a tray with cupcakes in it. The other two groups were sad until Mayra told them that they were all going to receive a chocolate cupcake. After, it was homework time! Since most of the kids had already finished it, there was only one table for homework, which I was placed in. I only had three kids; Kevin, Angel, and Elizabeth. Angel and Elizabeth finished pretty early, but Kevin took his time. He is a bright kid but fools around too much. He's very talkative and tends to get distracted very easily. I learned from Ms. Ann to be very patient but strict so that the kids can actually get their work done. It was an interesting experience where my patience was tested. I think I did good.

Time logged for this session: 2 hrs
Total time logged: 9 hrs

A lot of homework (February 24, 2014)

On Thursday, many students had a lot of homework so we mainly focused on tutoring. In my school I take a class called Peer Leadership. I mainly tutor students who need help in any academic classes, my teacher Ms. George has prepared us to do an efficient job so I already have some type of experience. Us as peer leaders have attended meetings were we trained and prepared to interact with students. Therefore, tutoring younger students is a bit easier for me.
After play time, we went inside and worked on homework. Ms. Ann placed me in table two! I was in charge of helping kids with their homework if they had problems or questions. It was an efficient day because all my students were able to finish their work on time. After, we played board games!

Time logged for this session: 3 hrs
Total time logged: 7 hrs

Valentine's Day (February 5, 2014)

Today was an awesome day! I arrived during "story time" was taking place so I had to prepare the stuff for our upcoming project. I cut out many hearts with different colors and shapes.Valentines day is just a week away so our project was based on love and friendship. My kids had to design their paper bags with hearts, leafs, and fur balls. The hearts represented the love that they have for their friends and family. Ms. Ann placed me in table two. As we made the cards, I asked them questions about why and for who they made the cards. Many said their parents because they love and protect them. It was a nice way to get to know my students.    The only problem was that they all wanted to talk at the same time so we made a lot of noise, but I repeatedly had to tell them to lower down their volume. After we finished making the cards, we cleaned up. I learned that kids enjoy and are willing to clean up as long as its a fun process. Therefore, I gave each of them a job. For example, one kid was in charge of putting back the scissors, while the other one was in charge of putting back the glue. We cleaned up very fast!

 After, we played for the remaining time. At the end of the day Ms. Ann spends her time cleaning up so I help her or keep the kids entertained. I try to play with everyone since I'm not supposed to show preference, which I don't have any because all my kids are unique!


Time logged for this session: 3 hrs
Total time logged: 4 hrs

First Day (Jabuary 27, 2014)

   It was my first day off soccer so right away I thought to myself "I should go volunteer!" I got to Sunshine Gardens at 3:00 pm, at first I was really nervous because I did not know what to expect from the children. I got Room 3 with Teacher Ann, most of the kids are around six years old. Ms. Ann is a nice teacher, but I can tell that she has a strong attitude when she gets mad. Since it was 3:30 pm the kids were outside playing, therefore, I stayed outside and played with them. The kids are very lovely, I felt comfortable right away. The girls mostly followed me, but this kid named Kevin kept wanting to play soccer with me since I told him that I play for my school. After, we went inside the classroom. Ms. Ann set up two tables with different stations, one was the "I have a dream…" station which was the one I was placed in, and the other one was "Thank G for the toys…" I thought it was an awesome way to remember Martin Luther King's work, the children were told to copy down the famous phrase "I have a dream that one day…" and then finish the sentence with something that included the community. Many of my kids wrote nice things like "I have a dream that one day everybody receives presents." My table was really productive, they are smart caring kids.

Time logged for this session: 1 hr
Total time logged: 1 hr