Participating in the Village Project has been an amazing experience so far. I am a volunteer in the afterschool programs at two different elementary schools in the area. At one school I work with 2nd and 3rd graders, and at the other school I am with 4th and 5th graders. Being with two different age groups have been very interesting because I have been able to experience firsthand the differences, both developmentally, academically, and socially, between different age groups. While I do not actually want teach any of the grades I am currently working, it has still been a good experience to help me understand what teaching those grades would be like.
I have also learned how to balance the needs of one student versus helping all the students in a group. At both of the schools there are students who need more one-on-one attention. However, I have been learning how to manage giving them the attention and assistance they need while also being there to help all the students in the group. This will be a valuable skill to have as a teacher, because I will have to balance the individual needs of my students with the needs of the whole group to ensure that they are all learning and growing to their full potential.
My favorite part of the Village Project so far has been just getting back into the classroom and connecting with the students. In high school, I was a Youth Apprentice for the STEAM coordinators for my school district, so I helped create and teach science/STEAM lessons in elementary classrooms. Since coming to college, I have missed working with children, so I have really enjoyed getting back in the classroom with Village project. Additionally, it has been great to connect with the students. They are always excited to see me and want to read me books during academic time and talk to me at recess. I have really enjoyed getting to know the students and also being able to help them during academic time work on their reading or math.
One last things that has been very interesting to me is just the difference in reading/math levels of students in the same grade range. Within the 2nd and 3rd graders especially there is such a difference in reading and math levels. This is important to note because as a teacher I would have to make lessons tailored to be engaging for students of many different levels which might all be in the same class.
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