I’m continuing to learn so much
from my fellowship at Agape! Over the past few weeks, the biggest challenge has
been creating the curriculum for the reading program each week without being at the camp to implement it. I mentioned this in my previous blog post so I won't delve too much into it here. However, I'm really excited to compile the full curriculum into a binder once it's finished. Hopefully, it will help whoever is
working on the reading program in future summers so they'll have a template to start from.
This past week’s education theme has
definitely been the most applicable to my site. Since I’m spending three days a
week helping the teachers at Georgian Hills Elementary, I’ve gotten the opportunity to observe the school setting
and work with the students in their daily activities. Our SSF discussion last
week exposed the multitude of educational options out there; it's much
more than just public and private schools, which is the binary that usually
comes to mind. While the type of school
certainly defines an educational experience, my involvement at Georgian Hills
has helped me realize that school culture plays a big role as well. For
example, while a student at Freedom Prep may have a similar experience to a
student at Georgian Hills because they are both charter schools in low SES
areas of Memphis, the varying school cultures would shape those student’s experiences
differently. From what I've seen, the school culture at Georgian Hills is a welcoming, inclusive
environment with a strong disciplinary system. For example, if you say
“Tiger tone zero” the students know that means to be quiet, and if a student
deserves to be recognized for doing a good job, the school has a song that
everyone will immediately start singing in order to recognize that student. This system of shared songs that point to shared
values contributes to school culture. It seems to define an
educational experience just as much as the type of school and where its funding
comes from.
Although my role change during the second week of SSF was not ideal, it has allowed me to re-conceptualize service. At Rhodes, we hear the term “service
minded” a lot, but I think I’m really starting to understand that it is an active mentality. Instead of waiting for service opportunities to come along, service minded people pay attention to needs, and ultimately, work to fill them. Since my
current position was unexpected and therefore not as structured, I feel like I
have taken on a more service oriented mindest. At first, I just wanted to avoid being Russell
from the Pixar movie Up. (To those
unfamiliar with the scene, the boy scout, Russell, desperate to get his ‘helping the elderly’ badge, knocks on an old man's door and asks,
“Can I help you cross the street? Can I help you cross your yard? Can I help
you cross your porch?”) Instead of being over eager and jumping to conclusions like he does, it’s more beneficial to start by listening for where the needs really are. For example, one afternoon during the enrichment activity time, it seemed like I wasn't particularly needed. But after noticing that some students weren’t
really thinking about the multiplication flash cards provided, sitting down with the kids and using the multiplication
cards to set up a fun math competition was just what was needed on that day, even though the job wasn't explicitly given.
Have a great week, everyone!
That's great to see that you're finding all the little opportunities to help better the students! That's a very important and valuable lesson in any work environment; the ability to observe and find a purpose or task for yourself without being asked is crucial.
ReplyDeleteI found some similarities between your post and Catherine's post. Catherine discussed charter schools, and how, often times, the charters present a mindset that in order to be successful, you must abandon your environment or community in order to identify with the charter school. I found the connection with your discussion of the shared song system. I think that is a successful way to fully enforce the importance of a community within the school. The students should be taught that each of their individual strengths, traits, and characteristics combine to create a powerful, successful, and supportive community. I was glad to see that Freedom Prep does drum circles in order to share the "community" ideals with the students.
Keep up the great work, Camille! It seems like your position has really fallen into place! Hope the next few weeks go well.
Camille - I thought last week's education discussion was so important in dissolving the public vs. private binary that you mentioned. I will be the first to admit that I had no idea there were so many different types of schools, especially since the Charter School model is not used as commonly where I'm from. I really like the idea of using songs and chants as ways to congratulate a student's hard work the way that Georgian Hills does. It gives children motivation to try their best and also standardizes the "pat on the back" sentiment so that children don't feel like there is favoritism from their teachers or their peers.
ReplyDeleteThe way you described a "service-minded" person I think is completely accurate. It is so much deeper than either doing what you're told to do or jumping at any potential need (like Russell). It is analyzing the situation, knowing where you can use your talents to help, and often filling in in places that aren't necessarily in the job description.
I loved your description at the end! (Up is one of my favorite movies). I feel pretty similarly about my service site. Because I'm not always interacting with people and often spend time in the office, it's sometimes difficult to remember the "service" aspect of the fellowship. However, I think about how the work I'm doing will actually impact many people in the future, and I'm reminded that service has many different meanings!
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