Having the opportunity to serve the community and work with children has shown me how much the school and staff appreciate as much help and they can get. Having more help allows for the after school program to run smoother, for there to be more help for the children, and there to be more eyes to find areas that need improvement. As all of the volunteers and staff work together more and more, I have noticed that we have begun to work better as a team in order to make the program something that the children look forward to everyday. I have had many kids tell me about how much they like the program, and they look forward to seeing me. This has helped me come to the realization that I like working with kids a lot more than I thought I would. I am not an education major, but working with the kids, hearing about their days, being by their side when they need help, and having them ask when they will see me again, is something that I look forward to when I go to my site. It also brings me happiness knowing that the staff loves having us there; they are very grateful for having extra help, especially when they know they can rely on us if they need anything.

So far in my experience, I have learned quite a bit about students, teaching, and learning. Beginning with students, I have previously known that every student learns differently, but seeing it in person is something that has helped me get a better understanding of what this really means; I have worked with students who learn best one-on-one, working with others, working in silence, when having reassurance, etc. This list could go on for a while, but seeing that every student has a way of learning that will help them be most successful is something that will help me as I continue through my education journey. When it comes to teaching, I have learned some ways to address students in which they react the way you want them to, and ways that are not very effective. I have noticed that the staff that have been working there longer have better control of the kids than the newer staff, and I think this is because they are better at staying calm and teaching kids what they should and should not do. They emphasize what is right and wrong, and when the kids don’t do what they are supposed to, they sit down with them and ask them why what they did was wrong, and they go through what they should have done. I think that staying calm and spending time talking to and making connections with the children allows you to have better control over a classroom and a better and more fun learning environment for everyone. 

When it comes to the environment I am volunteering in, some of the best things that I’ve seen are the positivity from the staff, the organization of what activities are going on everyday, and the organization of where students keep their backpacks and other belongings. All of these things encourage the students to have fun, and they stay engaged in the activities that are given to them. I do not think there are any kids who do not enjoy the after school program, which also contributes to making the environment good. Some challenges that the students face are working together and listening to the staff when they are told to do something they do not want to do. Working together causes students to get off task sometimes, and when they are told not to do something or that it is time to be finished with something, they have a hard time listening and would rather do what they want. This connects to the challenges that the staff has, which are getting the attention of the children and getting them to listen to them when it is time to start a new activity. I think in order to see improvement in these areas, there should be more structure in each room so that students are used to a set schedule and the rules each staff member has and the program has as a whole.

Overall, I have really enjoyed volunteering at my site this far into the program. I think it is very beneficial, not only for me to learn about students and staff, but also for the school to have extra help. I think this is a successful program, and one that you can gain a lot of hands-on experience and knowledge from.