Journal 3

The kids are opening up to me. I can't wait for next week, we're going to do an activity that consists of helping the kids make paper plate piggies. The staff is absolutely amazing and nice. I feel at home here. Gustavo and Isabel are two kids in my group and the love dancing and singing. Today a little boy by the name Cade came up to one of the teachers and told her that he was ugly, because that's what another little boy had told him. Cade took it as though he was ugly because he was different. This enraged me and made me sad all at once. The teacher handled it by telling him that he was no different than anyone else, in fact he was an amazing and brilliant little boy. The boy smiled and walked away. Cade physically looks like every other little boy, but he has a speech impediment and does not like to play with others. He is becoming one of my favorites. He sits with me at lunch time and I he always comes and sits down in my lap for reading circle, where the teachers or sometimes myself read to the children gathered in a circle.

Journal 2

I will be volunteering at WestView School for Autistic Children. It is located within fifteen minutes of Guinan Residence Hall, which is perfect for me, since I have reliable transportation. This school provides affordable special education for students who learn differently and with a more specific environment. They are usually socially awkward and need a lot of help getting started on their motor skills like holding a spoon or fork right, or even a pencil. The pace of this school allows children to not be surpassed as they would be in public school. They also have a small class size in order for the teachers to be able to better tend to their specific needs. I visited on Friday and I met a boy named Seth who was the smallest out of his group and he was extremely cute! He did not like hugs that much, but he loved to play by himself with a few toy cars. Most of the kids play on their own, they don't tend to hang out in a group for some reason, I asked the teachers and they said that this was one of the characteristics of autism: independence and isolation. I'm already learning so much. I will be going every Friday for a few hours. I can't wait to meet more kids and become comfortable with everyone.

Journal 1

I hope to learn many new ways to teach and shine light on children who may not have the opportunity to learn what they should in a overcrowded public schools. I currently tutor now, so I'm excited for the challenge of teaching younger kids. I've volunteered at Westview, a school for children with autism, and that was an amazing challenge. The kids there taught me so much love and patience. I'm hoping to learn something new from the kids I will be tutoring. If I don't get to teach them anything, I hope to at least be a good listener to their needs or a positive presence. Can't wait!