[nobe-l] First day volunteering

Sun Jun 18 19:57:21 UTC 2017

Hi Kayla,

I volunteered in several after school programs and student taught in first grade, so here are some suggestions.
Try bringing some of your own activities for the kids to do. Kids absolutely love crafts made from wiki sticks or games like braille Uno. The afterschool program director always appreciated my initiative when it came to bringing an activity for the kids to do. As far as tracking where students are, make it a rule that if a child leaves your table, they have to let you know where they are going. Stickers are an extremely cheap and magical reinforcer for this rule. As far as art projects like finger painting, kids don't typically need a lot of help with these activities. When my kids were coloring or painting, I would talk to them about what they were drawing, give suggestions for colors, and help them clean up afterwards. The more you talk to kids, the more they will talk to you and the easier it will be to manage them. Like others have said, this volunteer setting is going to be extremely different from teaching a class, so don't think that your success in this program will determine if you will be a successful teacher. Good luck and pick up some stickers!

Tara

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 18, 2017, at 2:56 PM, Ashley Bramlett via NOBE-L <nobe-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Valeria,
> 
> Thanks for articulating this better than I could. Feeling like you are losing control and having trouble tracking students
> in a less structured environment is exactly the challenge. A classroom setting where it is yours to teach is more structured than a recreation setting where there are many tables or open space for kids to sit down and do various activities such as games, arts and crafts, or reading.
> 
> Kayla, everyone makes mistakes; its part of the experience. Particularly with being blind, you have a challenge to find what works for you.
> I don't have many suggestions. True, much is visual and you cannot directly help with finger painting.
> I have some vision so I probably would have been able to do something.
> 
> Anyways, I suggest you keep tabs on the kids by listening and engaging in periodic conversations if they don't talk among themselves.
> Tell them to verbalize if they get up to leave. You can also
> listen for clues to determine if they are leaving or putting things up. Ruffling of papers, closing the paint jars, and moving of chairs might be some clues you can hear. I think your major cue will be their direct conversations to you or among themselves.
> You can probably touch the finger paint after it dries to see what they did or ask them to describe it. Another idea for arts and crafts is to be paired up with another volunteer who can describe the setting.
> When you sit with a group of kids, get their names and make a note of it if you need to. Calling their names will help you find them and establish rapport. When volunteering as a summer camp program assistant, I noticed most volunteers just looked at kids to get attention. They did not know their names. It was like all kids were just numbers.
> You can go a long way in establishing rapport with them by using names in place of eye contact. They will probably like you better then If you use a name anyways because then they feel like someone rather than just the kid in the red shirt that Susie is trying to talk to.
> Sighted volunteers don't always see the kids as specific people but identify them by clothes or looks. You cannot do that, so you can do other things which are probably superior in the long run anyways. Get their names. Ask the kids to state their name before talking to you so you get a sense of their voices.
> Good luck.
> 
> Ashley
> -----Original Message----- From: Valeria Paradiso via NOBE-L
> Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2017 11:21 AM
> To: National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List
> Cc: vparadiso92 at gmail.com
> Subject: Re: [nobe-l] First day volunteering
> 
> Hi Kayla,
> 
> I would agree with Ashley. I wouldn't stress out too much about this, as activities will differ a lot depending on the situation. I really hated my student teaching experience, as well as working as a program assistant for a summer camp one summer during graduate school for the same reasons. When you can't establish your own routines, it becomes more challenging to track students as well as feel in control. Still, you can establish your own routines with in a less structured situation nonetheless. Understanding that the sorts of things will happen will help you feel a lot better. Focusing on the positive aspects, such as general interactions with the students as well as getting to know individual abilities will help you value the experience.
> 
> I must say though, I currently work as a teacher and there's nothing like it. It's a very rewarding field. But that sense of accomplishment came with a lot of time, work, and energy. And a lot of failures as well. I wouldn't pik a Mager based on what seems easier, as every field has its own unique set of challenges. I would suggest you focus on where your strengths and interests truly lye. Volunteering is a great way to determine whether or not you think you may want to work with children. Give the experience a chance.
> 
> Warmly,
> 
> 
> --
> Valeria
> 
>> On Jun 18, 2017, at 4:20 AM, Kayla James via NOBE-L <nobe-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> I don't know. I have been changing majors a lot and want to stick with something. But that's another thing that happened. They were finger painting and I couldn't help.
>> I am sorry if I am whining or complaining. Please forgive me.
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>>> On Jun 17, 2017, at 11:15 PM, Ashley Bramlett via NOBE-L <nobe-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Kayla,
>>> 
>>> Enjoy the volunteer experience and do your best. Interact kindly but professionally with them.
>>> You can explain to the kids how you want to proceed with activities and what they should say. Since you cannot see them, you can request they verbalize to you if they are leaving and where they are going.
>>> First grade is a fun age to be with. I prefer middle elementary school when kids have more vocabulary and can read better such as 2 to 4th grade.
>>> I also think you should pursue a teaching degree. You can always change majors if you feel its not working out.
>>> I'm on the list here as I'm interested in teaching or tutoring kids still even though I did not get an education degree but a communication degree. I tried education but it did not work for me for a variety of reasons such as the demanding outside work and lack of accessible texts as well as trying to observe as part of our class work which did not go too well. The kids did a lot of visual stuff like coloring pictures so I did not fully get a sense of what was happening even though I tried using other ways like asking some of them.
>>> I figured I can still help kids even though it might be on a volunteer basis now unless I try to go to grad school for education.
>>> 
>>> Anyways, about volunteering, don't be so hard on yourself. Maybe the kids thought they were supposed to leave. Maybe they did not know what to do afterward and did not think to verbalize they were leaving. I think volunteering on a temporary basis can be challenging, but with time it can be overcome. Unlike teaching, as a volunteer someone else set up the room and schedule. As a volunteer, you cannot discipline kids although you can certainly set boundaries and rules of curtesy for interaction with you. I'm saying as a volunteer you have somewhat less control over the environment than a teacher has in the classroom. This does not mean you cannot do it, but it does mean you need to advocate more and perhaps do things a little differently than other volunteers.
>>> 
>>> I tried volunteering at a nonprofit summer day camp. It did not work out for reasons which I do not know but they asked me to come in only an hour after my second week there when I thought things were well. I then volunteered at another summer camp which went better; it probably went better because I had better support from staff.
>>> At my first volunteer summer camp at Facets, a very similar thing happened to me.
>>> I sat with the kids as they played their choice of board games. I was just there to see they played cooperatively and that they cleaned up afterward.
>>> Well, the kids often finished a game and ran off to do something else. Sometimes they told me and other times they did not.
>>> This was a free form time of recreation. Still it would have been nice if they told me what they were going to do and where they went.
>>> 
>>> Another time at Facets, I had a child read to me who was probably in third grade. The kids were told to read to a buddy, usually another volunteer. Well, my kid did the reading and fairly well for her age. I had a hard time hearing her due to the noise of the crowded room sometimes.
>>> She finished the book and got up to leave just as in your situation. I did ask the leader where she went and found out.
>>> Like your situation, none of the camp leaders were interested in teaching although they were also college kids.
>>> I think things will go better with some advocacy. Even if they do not, again, don't be so hard on yourself. Sometimes the volunteer environment is not a good fit. If its not, you can always try another volunteer setting.
>>> 
>>> I'm wondering how people keep track of kidsin a child care setting.
>>> The only suggestion I have is for you to ask kids to communicate with you.
>>> It seems challenging. I have low vision, but kids seem to get lost in the crowd.
>>> 
>>> I did have a better experience at another camp sponsored by the nonprofit Wesley Housing development Corporation and am thinking of returning, so it all depends on the situation.
>>> So Kayla, keep volunteering and don't compare it to teaching too much.
>>> 
>>> Ashley
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Kayla James via NOBE-L
>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 11:42 PM
>>> To: nobe-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Cc: Kayla James
>>> Subject: [nobe-l] First day volunteering
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I began volunteering today. I helped four first graders with reading and Math. It went okay, but suddenly all of my students got up and left. I felt embarrassed and had to ask the "teacher" to bring them back.
>>> All of the teachers were college kids like me, but none were interested in being teachers.
>>> I felt drained when I left there. Once again, I wondered if I was cut out to teach.
>>> Will update again the next time I go.
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPad
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