Although this is my conclusion blog my time at Lydia Home is not over. Some of the other volunteers, as well as myself, are going to continue to help out at our service learning locations. This has been such a fulfilling experience, & one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved working with kids when I taught in the past, & being able to be around them again has been great. Communication is so important in both speaking to others, as well as understanding what others have to say.
Listening trended throughout my whole Lydia Home experience & I'm sure will trend in many other experiences I face in my life time. The way I listened was different for each & every child I worked with. Some need that emotional/empathetic listening & others just kind of babble about from topic to topic & don't really need you to listen at all, they just need you to be there for them.
Overall this experience taught me a lot about no matter how different those kids & their families may be from me & my own that I should treat them no different than anyone else. At the end of the day they don't want to feel different, so it was our jobs to make them feel like they weren't. This after school program helps to keep them in positive situations & although not all kids need a place to go like that I feel that it is a very influential program. I value & respect the people who run Lydia Home & feel blessed to have been a part of their program.
In short I learned to use the many types of listening, & I learned just how influential stereotypes can be on people today.
This was a great service learning experience for me & is one I am glad to continue on doing! (:
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Saturday Sitters
To get away from my typical Tuesday & Thursday postings I thought for this blog I would discuss what I like to call "Saturday Sitters." On a few Saturdays of my Lydia Home experience Clare & I spent time watching three of the children. Nehemiah who is five, Amaya who is four, & Rashad who is three. Here's how it went!
The children's mom works many long hours & had to put in time on Saturdays, so Clare & I offered to use some of our volunteer time to watch her three kids. On Saturday we spent six hours watching the kids & managed to do everything from napping to going outside.
When we first got there the kids were kind of upset that their mom had to go to work, but were also excited to spend the day with us. After throwing out a couple options of what to do the kids decided we should play house. All three of them loved acting like babies & having Clare & I take care of them. They had forgotten their mom had left in no time at all.
After that since the weather was decent outside we decided to take them to play in the grass to burn off some energy. We played tag & pushed them on the swings. But we soon figured out that with two swings & three children that became a game that was fought over. They all wanted to swing and they all wanted our attention so it was all about balancing.
After playing outside they were all pretty warn out so we decided to have some quiet time. We gave them a small snack & then all of us layed on the floor & Clare & I read the kids stories until all three were asleep. Had we not been responsible for the children Clare & I could have easily napped along with them.
Overall a very successful day. Their mom returned & we said goodbye. With another great experience under our belts we returned home to our own beds-kids sure can wear you out.
To relate back to class here are some concepts that came to light during Saturday sitting. Listening was a major influence on Saturday. With only Clare & I & then three kids who have everything to tell you all at once we experienced a few types of listening. Appreciative listening occurred when the kids were telling us things that make us laugh that pretty much make no sense at all. Empathetic listening occurred when the kids swore that they had "boo boos" & needed consoling.
Another concept we experienced was conflict, mainly in the form of competition. Throughout the day the kids were constantly competing for our attention & this was something that Clare & I had to balance out & deal with. We had to maintain a happy atmosphere between all three kids at all times, this proved to be quite a challenge. But overall I'd say we did a good job & had a successful day.
I learned that avoiding that conflict is hard based on the group surrounding you. Also that you can't always make everyone happy, but that you can compromise to focus the attention on something that may not be originally desired, but is still desirable. Overall a great learning experience & another great opportunity to spend time with the kids. Until next time!
The children's mom works many long hours & had to put in time on Saturdays, so Clare & I offered to use some of our volunteer time to watch her three kids. On Saturday we spent six hours watching the kids & managed to do everything from napping to going outside.
When we first got there the kids were kind of upset that their mom had to go to work, but were also excited to spend the day with us. After throwing out a couple options of what to do the kids decided we should play house. All three of them loved acting like babies & having Clare & I take care of them. They had forgotten their mom had left in no time at all.
After that since the weather was decent outside we decided to take them to play in the grass to burn off some energy. We played tag & pushed them on the swings. But we soon figured out that with two swings & three children that became a game that was fought over. They all wanted to swing and they all wanted our attention so it was all about balancing.
After playing outside they were all pretty warn out so we decided to have some quiet time. We gave them a small snack & then all of us layed on the floor & Clare & I read the kids stories until all three were asleep. Had we not been responsible for the children Clare & I could have easily napped along with them.
Overall a very successful day. Their mom returned & we said goodbye. With another great experience under our belts we returned home to our own beds-kids sure can wear you out.
To relate back to class here are some concepts that came to light during Saturday sitting. Listening was a major influence on Saturday. With only Clare & I & then three kids who have everything to tell you all at once we experienced a few types of listening. Appreciative listening occurred when the kids were telling us things that make us laugh that pretty much make no sense at all. Empathetic listening occurred when the kids swore that they had "boo boos" & needed consoling.
Another concept we experienced was conflict, mainly in the form of competition. Throughout the day the kids were constantly competing for our attention & this was something that Clare & I had to balance out & deal with. We had to maintain a happy atmosphere between all three kids at all times, this proved to be quite a challenge. But overall I'd say we did a good job & had a successful day.
I learned that avoiding that conflict is hard based on the group surrounding you. Also that you can't always make everyone happy, but that you can compromise to focus the attention on something that may not be originally desired, but is still desirable. Overall a great learning experience & another great opportunity to spend time with the kids. Until next time!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Week Two at Lydia Home
My second week at Lydia Home was another Tuesday & Thursday session. It was much like the first with a few minor exceptions. Here's how it went!
On Tuesday I arrived yet again just after the kids were finishing with their snack time & moving into homework time. I jumped from child to child trying to help them with what I could. Today was a big english day-many of them had reading comprehension & also spelling like last week. Clare & I helped one of the kids turn singular words into plural works for example. Overall homework ended successfully & it was time for the kids to go play.
WE GOT TO GO OUTSIDE!
The kids are always thrilled when we can go outside & today was one of those days. From swinging to football, we did it all. I think the volunteers were more tired than the kids by the end of this day. Once again time zoomed by, so we said goodbye to the kids & headed home for the night.
Thursday was very similar to Tuesday & yes, we got to go outside again! Homework went smoothly-well as smoothly as possible & then we all had another outdoor adventure. Overall this was a great volunteer week!
One of the huge concepts I experienced this week was reflected appraisal & just how necessary it can be with children. When working with kids it is so easy for them to get distracted or simply lose interest & want to quit. And kids from a place like Lydia Home value that reflected appraisal.
When they do good & you tell them they've done so you can just see their little faces light up & their attention return.
This week was also a very nonverbal week. During homework is the most popular time for this-this usually occurs right before the shut down when they get tired of homework. Kids get bored like mentioned above, & more often then not this is where the phrase "use your words" comes into play. They begin making faces or just pointing instead of actually saying what it is they are pointing too.
This week taught me that in the future if I want someone to accomplish something that a little reflected appraisal can go a long way. Also that even though there are times when words aren't necessary there are some situations where just pointing isn't the right response. Another week down at Lydia Home. See you next time!
On Tuesday I arrived yet again just after the kids were finishing with their snack time & moving into homework time. I jumped from child to child trying to help them with what I could. Today was a big english day-many of them had reading comprehension & also spelling like last week. Clare & I helped one of the kids turn singular words into plural works for example. Overall homework ended successfully & it was time for the kids to go play.
WE GOT TO GO OUTSIDE!
The kids are always thrilled when we can go outside & today was one of those days. From swinging to football, we did it all. I think the volunteers were more tired than the kids by the end of this day. Once again time zoomed by, so we said goodbye to the kids & headed home for the night.
Thursday was very similar to Tuesday & yes, we got to go outside again! Homework went smoothly-well as smoothly as possible & then we all had another outdoor adventure. Overall this was a great volunteer week!
One of the huge concepts I experienced this week was reflected appraisal & just how necessary it can be with children. When working with kids it is so easy for them to get distracted or simply lose interest & want to quit. And kids from a place like Lydia Home value that reflected appraisal.
When they do good & you tell them they've done so you can just see their little faces light up & their attention return.
This week was also a very nonverbal week. During homework is the most popular time for this-this usually occurs right before the shut down when they get tired of homework. Kids get bored like mentioned above, & more often then not this is where the phrase "use your words" comes into play. They begin making faces or just pointing instead of actually saying what it is they are pointing too.
This week taught me that in the future if I want someone to accomplish something that a little reflected appraisal can go a long way. Also that even though there are times when words aren't necessary there are some situations where just pointing isn't the right response. Another week down at Lydia Home. See you next time!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Week One at Lydia Home
This week starts off my volunteer experience! This week covers my Tuesday & Thursday volunteer sessions-September 18th & 20th. Here's how it went!
Going into my first volunteer session on Tuesday I will admit I was kind of nervous. I wasn't sure how to jump into this new situation with these new people I was about to meet. Luckily enough I went with other people from our Interpersonal Communications class so that took away some of the anxiety, & also the ladies that run/manage Lydia Home were very helpful & sweet.
When I first arrived the kids were just getting cleaned up from snack time & moving into homework time, something I knew I would be able to help with having taught kindergarten in the past. There were a few boys who needed help with the basics-numbers, letters, spelling, and grammar. The other girls from class & I spent time working with three boys named William, Logan, & Davante on their homework.
Once all the kids were caught up with their homework for that night we moved to play time again for the kids. This time is consumed with a buzz of activities. Lydia home provides the kids with many more things for them to do than I could have imagined. They have both a Foosball table & a pool table, as well as a carpet ball table that takes up one whole wall. They also have a sort of "cozy corner" that has books and board games, as well as a chalk board for the kids to doodle on. The kids automatically divide up and start doing different things. Some pull you towards a table game while others are wanting to sit and play board games. It is such a buzz of activity, yet it is under control at the same time. It's very good for the kids. The kids continue this play time until their parents come to pick them up at the end of the evening. Before I knew it my first day of volunteering came to a close & the other girls & I headed back to SAU.
On Thursday coming into my second volunteer session I was much less nervous, getting that first initial experience out of the way, & having it be a positive one was a big mood changer for me. Tuesdays and Thursdays are very similar, so here was my Thursday!
As I had on Tuesday I came in right when the kids were washing up from snack time & jumped right in to helping clean up so we could begin working on homework with the kids. We came to realize that many of the kids didn't have homework that day so they were all placed into different activities-another thing I praise Lydia home for.
These activities are just focused on backing up & strengthening the different basic concepts the kids are learning in school at the time. Some of the kids work in work books & some of the others do hands on activities-no matter which activity I was part of I had no doubt that it was good for the kids I was working with.
Like Tuesday once homework, or in this instance activities, was finished the kids get to transition into their play time. This gives their brains a break & gives them a chance to burn off some of that built up energy, & trust me some of them need it! I continued jumping from game to game with different kids like Amaya & Davante. Overall another great day at Lydia Home!
Now to interpret my first week at Lydia Home!
Many of the things I discussed in my first blog before coming to Lydia Home were accurate, but there are also many things I came to realize were different after beginning my journey there. The staff at Lydia Home are everyday people who genuinely care about not just these kids, but their families as well, & I guess I was sort of surprised just by how nice & helpful they were right off the bat.
This all ties in with my perception of Lydia Home itself & the people there. I thought of this place as being much less structured than I came to find out it really was, & I had it in my mind that the people here would not communicate with me other than to tell me what I needed to do. These things I was so wrong about. As mentioned above, there are so many things for the kids who go to this place to do & when they have no work there are always activities that the staff here has for the children to do which I think is fantastic. The staff there are there because they want to be, & they will talk to you about anything & everything if that's what you want & although this is much different from my prior assumptions towards Lydia Home, it is a difference I came to love.
It wasn't just my perception to consider though, it was the children's too! In my eyes they were kids that I was going to do everything possible to help, but in their eyes who was I? Davante is one of the more shy little boys & when trying to help him with things or even trying to do stuff during play time he was hesitant with all of the volunteers at first, but for being the most shy he was able to warm up to me & the other girls in a short amount of time. Amaya-who loves Clare-definitely seems to be the least shy of the bunch & is the opposite of Davante. So while they could have perceived us as threatening, many of them welcomed us quite quickly.
Another concept for me to address is the stereotyping involved with a location like Lydia Home. As mentioned in my first blog I came into this journey knowing that the majority of the Lydia Home population were African American children, & unfortunately many stereotypes come into play with their race as well as their social status: many come from low-income families. Being from low-income families society assumes that they have poor education, or just that they are not smart to begin with. Yes these kids do have schooling, but unfortunately many-if not all, of the kids are behind grade levels. They still struggle with the basics, & these are things we as volunteers came to realize when helping them with their homework. It is all to easy to think that writing a letter should be simple, but we forget the times when we were young & struggled with the same concepts-patience comes into play majorly during homework time, but this is something I had already faced working with kindergartners in the past.
My first week came to be very influential & one that I really enjoyed. Even if some of these stereotypes are true for this particular group of kids it is not one to label a whole culture with. I learned that patience goes a long way this week, & that we must keep in mind the way others perceive us instead of only focusing on our perception of them. Don't judge a book by it's cover is a good description for Lydia Home. After this week I couldn't wait until the next!
Going into my first volunteer session on Tuesday I will admit I was kind of nervous. I wasn't sure how to jump into this new situation with these new people I was about to meet. Luckily enough I went with other people from our Interpersonal Communications class so that took away some of the anxiety, & also the ladies that run/manage Lydia Home were very helpful & sweet.
When I first arrived the kids were just getting cleaned up from snack time & moving into homework time, something I knew I would be able to help with having taught kindergarten in the past. There were a few boys who needed help with the basics-numbers, letters, spelling, and grammar. The other girls from class & I spent time working with three boys named William, Logan, & Davante on their homework.
Once all the kids were caught up with their homework for that night we moved to play time again for the kids. This time is consumed with a buzz of activities. Lydia home provides the kids with many more things for them to do than I could have imagined. They have both a Foosball table & a pool table, as well as a carpet ball table that takes up one whole wall. They also have a sort of "cozy corner" that has books and board games, as well as a chalk board for the kids to doodle on. The kids automatically divide up and start doing different things. Some pull you towards a table game while others are wanting to sit and play board games. It is such a buzz of activity, yet it is under control at the same time. It's very good for the kids. The kids continue this play time until their parents come to pick them up at the end of the evening. Before I knew it my first day of volunteering came to a close & the other girls & I headed back to SAU.
On Thursday coming into my second volunteer session I was much less nervous, getting that first initial experience out of the way, & having it be a positive one was a big mood changer for me. Tuesdays and Thursdays are very similar, so here was my Thursday!
As I had on Tuesday I came in right when the kids were washing up from snack time & jumped right in to helping clean up so we could begin working on homework with the kids. We came to realize that many of the kids didn't have homework that day so they were all placed into different activities-another thing I praise Lydia home for.
These activities are just focused on backing up & strengthening the different basic concepts the kids are learning in school at the time. Some of the kids work in work books & some of the others do hands on activities-no matter which activity I was part of I had no doubt that it was good for the kids I was working with.
Like Tuesday once homework, or in this instance activities, was finished the kids get to transition into their play time. This gives their brains a break & gives them a chance to burn off some of that built up energy, & trust me some of them need it! I continued jumping from game to game with different kids like Amaya & Davante. Overall another great day at Lydia Home!
Now to interpret my first week at Lydia Home!
Many of the things I discussed in my first blog before coming to Lydia Home were accurate, but there are also many things I came to realize were different after beginning my journey there. The staff at Lydia Home are everyday people who genuinely care about not just these kids, but their families as well, & I guess I was sort of surprised just by how nice & helpful they were right off the bat.
This all ties in with my perception of Lydia Home itself & the people there. I thought of this place as being much less structured than I came to find out it really was, & I had it in my mind that the people here would not communicate with me other than to tell me what I needed to do. These things I was so wrong about. As mentioned above, there are so many things for the kids who go to this place to do & when they have no work there are always activities that the staff here has for the children to do which I think is fantastic. The staff there are there because they want to be, & they will talk to you about anything & everything if that's what you want & although this is much different from my prior assumptions towards Lydia Home, it is a difference I came to love.
It wasn't just my perception to consider though, it was the children's too! In my eyes they were kids that I was going to do everything possible to help, but in their eyes who was I? Davante is one of the more shy little boys & when trying to help him with things or even trying to do stuff during play time he was hesitant with all of the volunteers at first, but for being the most shy he was able to warm up to me & the other girls in a short amount of time. Amaya-who loves Clare-definitely seems to be the least shy of the bunch & is the opposite of Davante. So while they could have perceived us as threatening, many of them welcomed us quite quickly.
Another concept for me to address is the stereotyping involved with a location like Lydia Home. As mentioned in my first blog I came into this journey knowing that the majority of the Lydia Home population were African American children, & unfortunately many stereotypes come into play with their race as well as their social status: many come from low-income families. Being from low-income families society assumes that they have poor education, or just that they are not smart to begin with. Yes these kids do have schooling, but unfortunately many-if not all, of the kids are behind grade levels. They still struggle with the basics, & these are things we as volunteers came to realize when helping them with their homework. It is all to easy to think that writing a letter should be simple, but we forget the times when we were young & struggled with the same concepts-patience comes into play majorly during homework time, but this is something I had already faced working with kindergartners in the past.
My first week came to be very influential & one that I really enjoyed. Even if some of these stereotypes are true for this particular group of kids it is not one to label a whole culture with. I learned that patience goes a long way this week, & that we must keep in mind the way others perceive us instead of only focusing on our perception of them. Don't judge a book by it's cover is a good description for Lydia Home. After this week I couldn't wait until the next!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Pre-Experience Thoughts
Before I begin my journey to my service learning site, Lydia Home, I must first reflect and answer a few questions. First of all being what my hopes are for this project. My hopes from this is to enjoy my time spent with the children, because I've taught in the past and it's something I really enjoyed. Also though I hope to be able to help them and be someone they can look up to, and to feel like they know I am there for them. Secondly what are my assumptions about the site/location of Lydia home. It is close by and in easy walking distance so I assume it is in a safe neighborhood. I also assume it will be a decent sized facility. Third is my assumptions about the work done at Lydia Home. I assume there are a decent amount of workers because surely there are a good amount of children. I also know that they provide help with homework and do other activities to keep the children there involved. Fourth is the things that I assume about the population Lydia Home serves. The population at Lydia Home is mostly African American children, which to me does not matter, they are there for a reason and the color of their skin isn't what put them there. Lastly what connections/interests/passions do I have for this site/population. As mentioned earlier I have taught before, kindergarten my senior year of high school, and I just love the kids. Helping them to learn and seeing the little light bulb go off when you can help them understand just touches my heart deep down. Had I not already become semi set with a major here I probably would have leaned towards elementary teaching. Maybe after this experience it will still be in my cards. Here I go (:
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