Although these experiences predate my acceptance into the Teacher Education Program I have included them here because of their influence on my decision to become a teacher.
Volunteer Experience I - Assistant Physical Education Instructor – Christian Fellowship Academy, Madrid NY
When I was homeschooling my two youngest sons, I volunteered to help teach 160 children from grades 1-12 physical education one day a week for a school year. The children came from various cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds; such as English as a second language, Amish, Haitian, African American, and Asian students.
My responsibilities included assisting in the planning and implementing of weekly lessons in movement, preparing paperwork for the Superintendant of Schools, ordering and purchasing of equipment, and working with parents on coordinating various competition events with other homeschool groups.
The most challenging aspect of this volunteer work was developing seven new lessons each week for the diverse age groups of our students and the class sizes were quite large. We often had to divide the groups for individual instruction in separate areas.
This is where I was first exposed to diversity in lessons for one student who was wheelchair bound and another student with autism.
Volunteer Experience II – Camp Counselor, Beacon Bible Camp, Frazer, MT
During the summer months, I became a counselor for girls ages 10-12 at Beacon Bible Camp. This camp is located in the country on the Ft. Peck Reservation and a diverse group of children from the surrounding communities attend. They come from the cities of Poplar and Glasgow to the farms of Vida and Peerless.
My responsibilities here included bunking in with 8-10 girls, sharing meals, studying Bible verses, playing games, attending chapel, arts and crafts, and being together 24/7. I became a mentor and a confidante to these girls, and they shared stories of their lives at home with siblings, trials and tribulations of school and friends, and the dreams and desires of their hearts.
Some children came for the food, some came for the fellowship, and some came to escape the reality of their daily lives of neglect and abuse. These were the ones who needed the most attention. Several of these girls couldn’t read or write well. I spent much of my free time teaching them these basic skills. Here is where I learned to listen to many voices at once (and respond), balance my time and attention in many different directions simultaneously, mediate disagreements, and attend to many different needs with care at a moment’s notice.
When it came time for them to leave camp to return home, my heart broke. I didn’t want them to leave and for some I didn’t want them to go back to their lives.
This is when I realized I had to be involved in children’s lives where I could have a greater impact; to promote positive growth and change in their lives. The following fall I enrolled in college to become a professional educator.