Blog Post 6: Video Reflection

Kind of a bittersweet moment. Mostly sweet though.

Blog Post #6: Final Video Blog

Last but not least :-)

Hey bloggers! Here are my final thoughts about my service learning organization. Hope my blogs have given you some insight to this beneficial program!

Final Blog Post

Hey there! Here is a video of my final reflection on my service learning project. Let me know what you think!

Blog Post 5

Well, it seems that the semester is pretty much over, and, not gonna lie, it went really quickly. Everything is paced so much faster here than it was in high school, and the constant stream of work from all of my classes hasn't really given me much time to think about the passage of time, but I guess that's for the best, because that sort of stuff usually makes me really depressed.
As far as my service learning organization is going, the Library is the same as ever. The more that I volunteer there, the more I can start to see patterns with the kids, especially with their reading abilities. Some of the Latin American kids who are probably learning English as a second language have difficulty reading books and assignments made for kids much younger than they are. I realize that by reading with these kids that I can help them, but it seems like they aren't looking to really learn to read so much as they just want to get it over with. This lack of motivation is one of the main causes that I believe that kids fail in school, but it's a daunting problem to solve.
I'm almost a little sad that I only have to go back a few more times.

On a side note, I never know how to give positive reinforcement to these kids. I read online somewhere that saying "good job" to a kid can make them take praise for granted or something. If I can't say "good job," then what an I supposed to say? I just don't know anymore.

Reflection Number 5

As I come closer and closer to the end of my time volunteering through my service learning organization, I appreciate it more and more. For my argument essay, I talked about how minority kids from immigrant families struggle in life because of the language barrier that they face in the United States. Like anything else in life, something becomes more meaningful to you if you know more about the situation and are more deeply involved. Researching the struggles that the language barrier causes for these children has really helped me connect with them on a deeper level because I understand a little more of what they go through, along with their parents, on a daily basis. Through my research, I found out that the number of kids in the United States who are part of immigrant families is extremely large, and this is something that really needs to be considered in school systems today. 

The kids I have helped are obviously intelligent and capable of learning like any other child, regardless of ethnicity. But, due to the fact that some of them hear one language at home and a different one at school, learning can often be very unnecessarily complicated for these kids, and that’s why it honestly is so awesome for me to be able to help them. The help I give them is not extremely significant, but it makes me feel like I’m really making a difference, especially now that I am more aware of their various language-based challenges in school. 

Sometimes the parents are there with the child for a period of time, and while they’re there, sometimes I see the kids go over to their parents and speak fluent, conversational Spanish, and then come back over to me where I’m helping them with homework or reading, and speak perfect English. I am constantly reminded of the huge capacity of learning that little kids have, and am continually amazed at how they can grasp concepts that aren’t even taught in their first language. When you’re little, learning how to tell time or how to do long division is hard enough, and now just imagine tacking on the challenge of being taught how to do these things in a language that isn’t your first language. The kids amaze me every day that I’m there!

Here is a link to a website to read a little more about how students are affected by this difference in language.

Blog Post 5

This past time I went to the Lexington Public Library, there was a lot going on. There were approximately seven volunteers with around 20 children in the room doing various things. Although the children almost three times over outnumbered us volunteers, only about four of us were working on homework with the children. The other volunteers were either coloring with the kids, or watching them run around the room while they played their make-believe games. The more I volunteer at the library, the more I understand that the library’s main goal for their homework help program is not just to help kids get their homework done. Their main goal is to create a safe environment for children that encourages and fosters a child’s ability to just be a kid, with some homework help on the side when needed.

            Large portions of the children who come to Lexington Public Library for their homework help program are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. With that being said, some of children may not be have the privilege of playing in their backyard or neighborhood without safety being a concern. The library creates an environment where children can play without their parents having to worry about their safety. I have noticed that a portion of children will come to get help with their homework, but once they are done with the work, they will stay for a while afterwards to play with some of the other children. Or parents will bring siblings with the child that needs homework help, and allow them to play in the homework help room.

            There were two instances that occurred last Thursday at the library that made me realize that the library’s homework help is not all about homework. The first was when two little boys from different families came in a sat down at a table next to me. They had come in a grabbed their peanut butter and jelly sandwich and carton of chocolate milk, that is handed out to every child that walks through the doors, and came and sat down. The entire time they were there, all they did was run around the room and play. None of the other volunteers were annoyed, and no one ever questioned them being there even though they were not there to work on homework. The next instance was when I was helping one 10 year old boy read a book and another young girl came up to me and handed me a Jolly Rancher with a note that said, “you are the best!” on it. I had never helped her homework, but I did help to give her a safe environment where she could play, be creative, and assist her with homework if she had needed it. The Jolly Rancher and note showed that my contribution to that was not going unnoticed, and was appreciated. 

The homework help system may slightly lack in organization, but it by no means is lacking in compassion towards each child that walks through their doors.