Hi bloggy buddies! Last night was my second night of volunteering with the mentoring program. As I mentioned before, I've been matched with an alarmingly hyperactive ten-year-old named Sadie. The whole thing is somewhat awkward because there are only about six children, and six adults, in the program, plus the two leaders. So generally the other five children and their mentors are working quietly and happily on some sort of project or game, while Sadie shrieks at the top of her lungs and zips around the room like a stray bullet! I haven't managed to make much of a connection with her, mostly because it is hard to converse with someone when you are chasing them down a hallway and trying to wrangle a permanent marker out of their hand! LOL!
At any rate, the activity we did last night was a lot of fun, and it even kept Sadie somewhat engaged about seventy-five percent of the time. I thought I'd share it with you, because some of you may be able to use it with your classes or even with your own families! We played with 10 to 13 year olds, but it can probably be played by any kids who can read and spell somewhat fluently, at least well enough to spell three letter words!
Divide everyone into small groups. We had three in a group but you could make larger groups of four or five if you want! Each group gets a few sheets of paper, and each group member gets an index card. You'll also need a timer. Plus, if you include the bonus round, you'll need a few extra items. (See Step 5.) Now here's how you play.
1. Each group member writes on his own card two vowels and eight consonants. Don't show the other members of your group what you're writing, yet!
2. All of the groups now have a specific amount of time (five minutes, ten minutes, whatever...) to make as many words as they can from the letters on each index card. You don't put the index cards together to use all the letters... you just see how many words you can make from one, and then the next, and then the last. For instance if my index card said a, e, g, f, b, t, l , s, my team could write down flag, tag, gas, last, and so on. Write all of the words down on a sheet of paper. It doesn't matter how long or short they are, as long as they are real words. When the timer goes off, pens and pencils go down!
3. The groups have to count how many words they have written down. The teacher or whoever is running the game might want to go around and scan the lists to make sure all of the words are valid and that there are no duplicates! The teacher should write down the number of words each team got.
4. Now, each group switches index cards with another group! The same process begins again, but this time, each word is worth two points! When the timer goes off, the teacher should write down the total each group has and add it to each group's previous total.
5. Here comes the bonus round! You'll need to have blown up a bunch of balloons... maybe about twenty. Each balloon should have a slip of paper inserted inside it. (Do that part before you blow it up, obviously!) Half of the slips of paper should have two random vowels and eight random consonants on them. The rest of the slips of paper should be blank.
6. The teacher or organizer presents the following information to the teams. They now have a big decision to make. Each group can opt to either take a balloon or not take one. If they choose to take one, and it has a slip of paper with letters on it, they can participate in the bonus round, earning two points for every word they make from those letters. But if the balloon has a blank slip of paper in it, that team loses twenty points. The members of each group will have a minute to discuss this and decide what they want to do. If they choose to take a balloon, they can send one member of the group up to get one.
7. Begin the bonus round for any teams that are going to participate.
8. After the timer goes off, the teams that participated can add their newest totals to their scores. The teacher or organizer can now declare which team is the winner!
9. You can also have a class discussion afterwards, about how each person feels they contributed, what were the hard and easy parts, how they decided whether to take a balloon for the bonus round, etc.
Its a fun game, and its a lot more exciting than it may sound! I hope some of you get the chance to try it out!
And now, for a funny story from student teaching.
Kiwi and Teal, two little girls in the at-risk class, both speak English and Polish fluently. They've become great friends and play together every day. Today, the two little girls were speaking to each other (in English) as they colored. The kids who are English Language Learners are encouraged to practice speaking in both English and their first languages, so the teacher, Mrs. Wing, casually suggested that the girls might like to speak to each other in Polish. Kiwi looked horrified and said,. "Noooo!"
"Maybe you could teach me some Polish," Mrs. Wing said.
Again, Kiwi said, "Noooo!"
"Why not?" asked Mrs. Wing.
Kiwi retorted, "I'm not your mother!"
Thats it for today, everyone! Thanks for reading!
Showing posts with label volunteering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volunteering. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Miss Read Volunteers
Hi everyone! A while ago I mentioned that I was looking for a way to do some volunteer work with kids, in order to get some fresh references (and also because I do like doing community service!) At the time I was having trouble finding a place to volunteer, and many organizations hadn't returned my emails and phone calls. Well, I finally got hooked up with a near by township (not the one I live in, unfortunately) that has a pretty cool mentoring program.
I was always interested in mentoring, and I actually did some mentoring in the past, both as a volunteer through AmeriCorps, and as a paid "therapeutic mentor" for a social service organization. It never went well for me. See, the idea is usually that once a week you are supposed to pick up a child from their house, and do some activities with them. The organizations usually specify that these activities should be free or under $5.00.
If I am with a child between the ages of about 2 and 8, I can come up with unlimited ideas for free activities! As a nanny I was famous for my daily outings with kids. I'd get on the Internet and research every free story time, kid-friendly concert, or celebration at every library or book store within a ten mile radius. I knew which craft stores and lumber yards hosted free classes for kids, which movie theaters had free $1 Disney movies one morning a week, where kids could bowl for free in the summer, which splash pads were free or under a couple bucks for entrance, which nature centers had kid-friendly exhibits and live animal encounters, which malls had free "kids clubs" with cool performances and snacks, which park districts had free mini-carnivals and picnics for kids... I could go on and on! When I take care of the under-8 crew, our days are always adventurous!
But when mentoring, I always seem to get matched with kids who are 12 to 17. And at that age, all of the things I just mentioned above are boooooooooriiiiiiiing! They mainly want to go to the mall or someplace with video games, or maybe the movies... which are all places that organizations with mentoring programs don't always like you to take kids. The organizations suggest doing things like hiking, or researching colleges... if you can manage to force the young teen to do these things!
I once worked as a mentor for a 14-year-old girl who lived in a foster home. When I met her, her foster mother told me the girl loved doing "anything at all," especially going out to eat or going to movies. We ended up going out to eat a lot. It was the perfect activity because we'd find new places to eat, and while we were eating we'd talk. The girl really opened up to me and we talked about everything in the world, which is really one of the biggest parts of mentoring, right? Letting the kids have someone to talk to? Well, the supervisor at the social service agency I was working with called me in one day and lectured me that I needed to stop taking the girl out to eat. Why? Well, because, as a foster child, this girl would probably grow up to have a very limited income, and it wasn't fair to get her used to going out to eat all the time since she would never be able to afford that kind of thing when she grew up. Way to have high expectations for a kid!
So anyway... this was why I had some reservations about mentoring again. But at this township program, they do things a little differently. Instead of having to take a kid out, a whole group of mentors and kids meets twice a month to do structured activities together for an hour and a half. I think it is perfect, because the activity is already provided for you, and its short and sweet, so you don't have to turn cartwheels trying to keep a kid entertained for five hours!
Last night was my first time volunteering there. I was matched with a ten-year-old girl named Sadie, who barely stopped running around the room and shouting the whole time! She was very energetic. In a happy way, though! They had to make these posters about themselves, which didn't hold her attention for very long at all, so we ended up going around the room and taking a survey of everyone's favorite foods and writing them down for a hypothetical fancy dinner Sadie is planning on hosting. In some ways it was difficult because when the people who run the program were trying to give directions for the project, or help other kids, Sadie was running around the room, crawling under tables, and pretending to be a dog! I wasn't sure how to react... I had just met her that day, as opposed to the other adults there who had known Sadie for months, and since nobody else was trying to stop her from bouncing off the walls, I wasn't sure if I should, on the first day. On the other hand, all of the other children were sitting angelically and coloring posters while the one I was in charge of wreaked havoc! I tried to distract her, and reengage her in the poster she was supposed to be making, but I wasn't all that successful. Another thing is, unlike any other organization I've ever worked with, we don't get any background information about the children, such as whether they have certain needs or behaviors. I have no way of knowing if Sadie is zipping back and forth in the room because she has something like ADHD that makes it difficult for her to sit still, or whether she is desperate for attention, or whether she is shy about meeting new people and is trying to overcompensate by being wacky, or what. All I know about her is what she happens to tell me during the moments when I can get her to calm down and take a breath. And so far, that information includes the facts that she loves animals, hates a boy named Anthony in her class who may or may not have said "the b word" to her, has recently learned how to play Chinese jump rope, loves TV and video games, and really enjoys fried chicken.
I'm looking forward to the next mentoring day, anyway... but its not for another two weeks! I guess I'll have plenty of time to wonder what that day will bring! Any advice, anyone?
I was always interested in mentoring, and I actually did some mentoring in the past, both as a volunteer through AmeriCorps, and as a paid "therapeutic mentor" for a social service organization. It never went well for me. See, the idea is usually that once a week you are supposed to pick up a child from their house, and do some activities with them. The organizations usually specify that these activities should be free or under $5.00.
If I am with a child between the ages of about 2 and 8, I can come up with unlimited ideas for free activities! As a nanny I was famous for my daily outings with kids. I'd get on the Internet and research every free story time, kid-friendly concert, or celebration at every library or book store within a ten mile radius. I knew which craft stores and lumber yards hosted free classes for kids, which movie theaters had free $1 Disney movies one morning a week, where kids could bowl for free in the summer, which splash pads were free or under a couple bucks for entrance, which nature centers had kid-friendly exhibits and live animal encounters, which malls had free "kids clubs" with cool performances and snacks, which park districts had free mini-carnivals and picnics for kids... I could go on and on! When I take care of the under-8 crew, our days are always adventurous!
But when mentoring, I always seem to get matched with kids who are 12 to 17. And at that age, all of the things I just mentioned above are boooooooooriiiiiiiing! They mainly want to go to the mall or someplace with video games, or maybe the movies... which are all places that organizations with mentoring programs don't always like you to take kids. The organizations suggest doing things like hiking, or researching colleges... if you can manage to force the young teen to do these things!
I once worked as a mentor for a 14-year-old girl who lived in a foster home. When I met her, her foster mother told me the girl loved doing "anything at all," especially going out to eat or going to movies. We ended up going out to eat a lot. It was the perfect activity because we'd find new places to eat, and while we were eating we'd talk. The girl really opened up to me and we talked about everything in the world, which is really one of the biggest parts of mentoring, right? Letting the kids have someone to talk to? Well, the supervisor at the social service agency I was working with called me in one day and lectured me that I needed to stop taking the girl out to eat. Why? Well, because, as a foster child, this girl would probably grow up to have a very limited income, and it wasn't fair to get her used to going out to eat all the time since she would never be able to afford that kind of thing when she grew up. Way to have high expectations for a kid!
So anyway... this was why I had some reservations about mentoring again. But at this township program, they do things a little differently. Instead of having to take a kid out, a whole group of mentors and kids meets twice a month to do structured activities together for an hour and a half. I think it is perfect, because the activity is already provided for you, and its short and sweet, so you don't have to turn cartwheels trying to keep a kid entertained for five hours!
Last night was my first time volunteering there. I was matched with a ten-year-old girl named Sadie, who barely stopped running around the room and shouting the whole time! She was very energetic. In a happy way, though! They had to make these posters about themselves, which didn't hold her attention for very long at all, so we ended up going around the room and taking a survey of everyone's favorite foods and writing them down for a hypothetical fancy dinner Sadie is planning on hosting. In some ways it was difficult because when the people who run the program were trying to give directions for the project, or help other kids, Sadie was running around the room, crawling under tables, and pretending to be a dog! I wasn't sure how to react... I had just met her that day, as opposed to the other adults there who had known Sadie for months, and since nobody else was trying to stop her from bouncing off the walls, I wasn't sure if I should, on the first day. On the other hand, all of the other children were sitting angelically and coloring posters while the one I was in charge of wreaked havoc! I tried to distract her, and reengage her in the poster she was supposed to be making, but I wasn't all that successful. Another thing is, unlike any other organization I've ever worked with, we don't get any background information about the children, such as whether they have certain needs or behaviors. I have no way of knowing if Sadie is zipping back and forth in the room because she has something like ADHD that makes it difficult for her to sit still, or whether she is desperate for attention, or whether she is shy about meeting new people and is trying to overcompensate by being wacky, or what. All I know about her is what she happens to tell me during the moments when I can get her to calm down and take a breath. And so far, that information includes the facts that she loves animals, hates a boy named Anthony in her class who may or may not have said "the b word" to her, has recently learned how to play Chinese jump rope, loves TV and video games, and really enjoys fried chicken.
I'm looking forward to the next mentoring day, anyway... but its not for another two weeks! I guess I'll have plenty of time to wonder what that day will bring! Any advice, anyone?
Friday, October 28, 2011
Will Work For Nothing!
Hi everyone! With less than a year left of my undergraduate special education teaching program, I've been thinking that I need to do something to really make my resume and portfolio stand out. I've always loved doing community service... I served a year with AmeriCorps, spent several summers volunteering at a summer camp for children in foster care, volunteered for a while reading to children in a homeless shelter, and currently volunteer with dogs in a rescue organization. All of my volunteer work with children was many years ago, and the dog thing probably won't make much of a difference when I try to get a teaching job. So, I decided, I should try to get a volunteer job again, doing something involving children!
The most sensible choice would be to volunteer at an afterschool tutoring program. However, for the life of me, I can't find any around here! The ones that I have been able to found all insist that they will only take volunteers over the age of 55. Why is that, do you think? I agree, its awesome for senior citizens and retired people to take advantage of their extra time and do volunteer work. But why only them? Do the school districts believe that, if you are under 55, have no children in the school, and still want to volunteer in a school, there must be something wrong with you?
I searched for other volunteer opportunities. Two places I was very interested in volunteering are a local organization that serves people with special needs and children in foster care, and a drop-in center for children and adults with Down syndrome. However, I contacted both of these places quite a while ago, and they never replied. They are very well-known places, and I'm sure they have their fill of volunteers.
I looked up the homeless shelter where I used to volunteer many years ago, but found that they had actually moved to another county. Weird! There is a second, similar homeless shelter i my town, but their website does not list any volunteer opportunities. I emailed them anyways, to ask if I might be of service.
I applied at the YMCA and at two youth mentoring programs near by. I hope one of these places will contact me! I have heard from several sources lately that getting a volunteer job these days is almost as hard as getting an actual, paying job. Organizations have their fill of people, and some even find volunteers to be a pain in the butt. What many of them really want is money! Kind of a shame. But anyways...
Do you have any ideas for other places I might look for volunteer opportunities? Or other ways that I can make my resume stand out from the others? Any advice would be appreciated!
The most sensible choice would be to volunteer at an afterschool tutoring program. However, for the life of me, I can't find any around here! The ones that I have been able to found all insist that they will only take volunteers over the age of 55. Why is that, do you think? I agree, its awesome for senior citizens and retired people to take advantage of their extra time and do volunteer work. But why only them? Do the school districts believe that, if you are under 55, have no children in the school, and still want to volunteer in a school, there must be something wrong with you?
I searched for other volunteer opportunities. Two places I was very interested in volunteering are a local organization that serves people with special needs and children in foster care, and a drop-in center for children and adults with Down syndrome. However, I contacted both of these places quite a while ago, and they never replied. They are very well-known places, and I'm sure they have their fill of volunteers.
I looked up the homeless shelter where I used to volunteer many years ago, but found that they had actually moved to another county. Weird! There is a second, similar homeless shelter i my town, but their website does not list any volunteer opportunities. I emailed them anyways, to ask if I might be of service.
I applied at the YMCA and at two youth mentoring programs near by. I hope one of these places will contact me! I have heard from several sources lately that getting a volunteer job these days is almost as hard as getting an actual, paying job. Organizations have their fill of people, and some even find volunteers to be a pain in the butt. What many of them really want is money! Kind of a shame. But anyways...
Do you have any ideas for other places I might look for volunteer opportunities? Or other ways that I can make my resume stand out from the others? Any advice would be appreciated!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)