A newspaper ad isn't quite as rewarding as listening to Diane fluently read Frog and Toad Are Friends, but it's still pretty cool!Thursday, April 23, 2009
Happy National Volunteer Week
Upon arriving at the elementary school yesterday afternoon, I signed into the Madison House binder in the front office like I always do, and on the counter found goodie bags that our program director left for all of the volunteers. It was a small token of appreciation that was a huge reminder... our work is not a simple individual effort, but rather a part of a large-scale movement by which students support the Charlottesville community. Interactions with student leaders like program directors assure me that we are working together toward a more cohesive neighborhood and a better world. If at any moment I wonder if my one hour a week does anything, I can realize that in this year alone, there were actually 3,533 Madison House volunteers. A spread that appeared in the Cavalier Daily yesterday really impressed me. Just look at the list of students and staff that work with Madison House!
A newspaper ad isn't quite as rewarding as listening to Diane fluently read Frog and Toad Are Friends, but it's still pretty cool!
A newspaper ad isn't quite as rewarding as listening to Diane fluently read Frog and Toad Are Friends, but it's still pretty cool!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
"Boost" My Ego
I recently discovered a new interpretation of Madison House "Boosters." I thought I was giving a boost to Charlottesville classrooms, and I am. I'm also getting an ego boost. When I walk into Ms. B's room, hands wave wildly asking if they can come in the hallway and work with me. Winning the approval of six year olds is arguably more difficult than winning the approval of college-aged peers! I practice math facts and play games with many different kids, but each Wednesday afternoon starts with Diane and me.
Yesterday, we read a passage about two clowns and then tested our comprehension by matching facts written on ice cream cones with the clown that each fact described. The activity itself is just a springboard for the stories we share, conversations we have, and giggles that follow!
I know the picture isn't great, but I couldn't distract her from some very intense reading!
Yesterday, we read a passage about two clowns and then tested our comprehension by matching facts written on ice cream cones with the clown that each fact described. The activity itself is just a springboard for the stories we share, conversations we have, and giggles that follow!
I know the picture isn't great, but I couldn't distract her from some very intense reading!Thursday, April 2, 2009
No Better Way to Start the Day
Usually I wake up by 8 am and get my day going as early as possible. In the past I've even volunteered at 9 am on Friday mornings just to ensure I didn't waste my days away in bed. Yesterday, however, I awoke without an alarm... at 1 pm! There were things I should have done and people I should have seen, but all I had time to do was eat some breakfast and make my way over to the elementary school. I enjoyed the beginning of my day by helping with the last hour of theirs! In that groggy state of having slept too much and accomplished too little, I walked down the hallway and per usual, couldn't help but smile at the brightness of it all.
When I entered the classroom, Ms. B. informed me that Said had been asking to work with me all day. "A surprise," she explained, "because he never wants to work with anyone." And with that, we went into this very hallway to practice reading and math, and it was worth starting my day with him.
When I entered the classroom, Ms. B. informed me that Said had been asking to work with me all day. "A surprise," she explained, "because he never wants to work with anyone." And with that, we went into this very hallway to practice reading and math, and it was worth starting my day with him.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I Think You Did It Wrong
Today we completed and unveiled the playground plans! I helped a few groups finish their projects and eagerly accepted their invitation to stay and watch their presentations. Each group showed their map, discussed the features, and received questions and comments from their classmates. First graders can be tough critics!
My favorite exchange is as follows (keep in mind, these are 1st graders):
Presenter: What's your question?
Questioner: Yeah, you have a fireman's pole, but no way to get to the top. How do you get up there?
Presenter: You climb.
Questioner: I'm not a good climber; I can't get up to the top.
Presenter: You can try. I couldn't ride a two wheeler, but then I tried and did my best.
Questioner: No, I can't do that. I think you did it wrong.
Of course, the resultant teacher-led conversation revolved around the fact that no group did it wrong, each just had their own ideas. I struggled to contain my laughter.
My favorite exchange is as follows (keep in mind, these are 1st graders):
Presenter: What's your question?
Questioner: Yeah, you have a fireman's pole, but no way to get to the top. How do you get up there?
Presenter: You climb.
Questioner: I'm not a good climber; I can't get up to the top.
Presenter: You can try. I couldn't ride a two wheeler, but then I tried and did my best.
Questioner: No, I can't do that. I think you did it wrong.
Of course, the resultant teacher-led conversation revolved around the fact that no group did it wrong, each just had their own ideas. I struggled to contain my laughter.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
$100 Buys A Lot These Days
Madison House boasts well over a dozen great programs that allow students to infiltrate and support the greater Charlottesville community, but I cannot deny that my strongest loyalties lie with Boosters: Cavs in the Classroom. Yesterday, I remembered one of the reasons why: no two visits are ever the same!
At the beginning of the semester, I brought students into the hallway to work with them one-on-one, establishing personal relationships and working toward individual achievements. Yesterday, I "gave a boost" to the whole class, as I circulated the room during an activity and provided support as necessary. The assignment was pretty cool (as a future teacher, I'm definitely filing this into my lesson plan box!) - working in groups, the students designed a playground. Each operated on a one hundred dollar budget, and using a price list for attractions as well as some guidelines (at least 2 things that move back and forth, no more than 3 things that move slowly, etc.) So maybe they now have a skewed perception of what a dollar can buy... twenty bucks for an elevator to make a drawbridge handicapped accessible?... but they applied all of their critical thinking skills and creative juices to this project. I couldn't help but be impressed.
One group I aided loved their plan so much that they wanted to raise money in order to make it a reality. A boy declared his idea to raise money: open a barbershop and charge people for haircuts. During this time of economic difficulty, maybe we should turn to six-year-olds more often for fundraising ideas.
At the beginning of the semester, I brought students into the hallway to work with them one-on-one, establishing personal relationships and working toward individual achievements. Yesterday, I "gave a boost" to the whole class, as I circulated the room during an activity and provided support as necessary. The assignment was pretty cool (as a future teacher, I'm definitely filing this into my lesson plan box!) - working in groups, the students designed a playground. Each operated on a one hundred dollar budget, and using a price list for attractions as well as some guidelines (at least 2 things that move back and forth, no more than 3 things that move slowly, etc.) So maybe they now have a skewed perception of what a dollar can buy... twenty bucks for an elevator to make a drawbridge handicapped accessible?... but they applied all of their critical thinking skills and creative juices to this project. I couldn't help but be impressed.
One group I aided loved their plan so much that they wanted to raise money in order to make it a reality. A boy declared his idea to raise money: open a barbershop and charge people for haircuts. During this time of economic difficulty, maybe we should turn to six-year-olds more often for fundraising ideas.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Study Break!
Midterms are this week, which means I've barely had time to breathe between exam-taking and paper-writing! I was slightly hesitant to interrupt it all to go volunteer, but knew Ms. B.'s class was expecting me. So with Spanish poetry floating through my head, I returned to first grade. After signing in, I made my way down the hallway and encountered a young man who looked at me with a skeptical voice and shouted, "You're tall!" At that moment, all five feet and ten and a half inches of me laughed and I forgot all about my sociology midterm, only hours away. Even during the busiest of times, being a Madison House volunteer allows me to think outside of myself and put life in perspective.
The afternoon flew by as I worked with Diane on reading common sight words and differentiating between the "th" and "sh" sounds. She admitted that she sometimes struggled because she is only allowed to speak Spanish at home. When I responded in Spanish, she was flabbergasted and begged to know from what country I came. It was a small letdown when I admitted I was born and raised in the US, but an exciting moment when we decided she could go onto college to study Spanish just as I had. Diane and I focused on mastering some pretty challenging compound words, and she proudly read a stack of flashcards to her classmates. As the clock neared three and we heard everyone begin to pack up, Diane pleaded to continue working together for a few extra minutes. I conceded to ten more flashcards, but would stay forever if I could.
The afternoon flew by as I worked with Diane on reading common sight words and differentiating between the "th" and "sh" sounds. She admitted that she sometimes struggled because she is only allowed to speak Spanish at home. When I responded in Spanish, she was flabbergasted and begged to know from what country I came. It was a small letdown when I admitted I was born and raised in the US, but an exciting moment when we decided she could go onto college to study Spanish just as I had. Diane and I focused on mastering some pretty challenging compound words, and she proudly read a stack of flashcards to her classmates. As the clock neared three and we heard everyone begin to pack up, Diane pleaded to continue working together for a few extra minutes. I conceded to ten more flashcards, but would stay forever if I could.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
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