As I have been going through this class, I have been asking myself how working with the Head Start program was relevant. I had often thought that children of that age were to be babysat and nothing else. I had wondered why we were to spend so much time with them and even center the class around this service learning partner. It has been over the past couple of weeks that I have realized how significant this program is to these children as well as me. I might be preaching to the choir or even sound bias, but Head Start really does make a difference in a child's life. I have come to appreciate the dedication and hard work of the teachers that work there. They deal with these kids everyday and are determined to help these children learn the necessary tools they need to prepare them for the next step. I have also seen how children in this school act a little more behaved than most. there are a few exceptions, but the same can be said about society as a whole.
As I have watched and interacted with these kids, I have found myself looking forward to those Tuesday afternoons when I can meet with them and work on projects such as arts, reading, writing, memorizing. I sometimes feel like it's more for me than them. It seems to be a nice break in my very busy day. This has not only been a service opportunity for me, but an eye opener for how I will want to raise my own family. I see many new ideas and techniques on how to teach my own kids life lessons.
This may have sounded a little bias or even naive, but I guess it's true that we can learn some of life's greatest lessons from children.
Hi Josh:
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear Head Start has been a productive experience for you!
I think many students have questions what, exactly, service-learning has to do with an English class. I've found that having experience in the community helps people realize the immediacy of the academic conversations they're joining-- the way people write, speak, and think about things translates into people's real life experiences. It's important to realize this before one takes a stance.
I'm extremely glad to hear your experience at Head Start has been a good one. And you've done excellent work this semester. :)
I love how you said you feel like it is more for you than for them, because i feel the same way. It's like they are the ones teaching you sometimes. :)
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