On Thursday (I'm writing this late) I had my first day at East Side Neighborhood Service. It was very tiring! There were so many kids there, some who needed help with homework, but most who just wanted to get some attention and play. The day started out quietly because not everyone was out of school yet. I worked with an eight year old named Sawda. She read out loud from the third Harry Potter book (she couldn't believe I hadn't read it). Sawda is originally from Somalia. She speaks English very well without a hint of an accent. I was also very impressed with her reading, but I found that many words she could read, but did not actually know the meaning of. We talked about what a cauldron was, and later while I was explaining what a potion was, she connected the two. I got really excited because I felt like she was actually retaining some of the things I was saying to her. We had a really good time. As more and more kids showed up, I began to feel a little overwhelmed. There were so many of them and there was so much noise! I worked with a group of about six kids and we all played with money flashcards. One girl was pouting really badly because she got one wrong, and I wasn't completely sure how to handle it, but eventually we figured it out. Overall, all the kids were very accepting and eager to work with me. It felt good that they wanted me there and made me feel very useful. They were dissappointed when I said I had to go and made me promise to do this and that when I came back on Tuesday. I am really looking forward to going back and to doing more with all of the kids I met. I also want to make sure I talk to some more. From the first day, I am guessing that this experience will be a very interesting one and that I will learn a lot form it. I also think it will really help me to work on my patience!
Posted by dres0060 at October 4, 2004 11:06 PM