My service learning class was perhaps one of the most rewarding experiences I have had while studying at CSUMB. I took this course during the Fall of 2015, and was able to greatly improve my interaction with children and expand my understanding of service. Service learning offered me the unique opportunity to gain experience working with children and improve my interactions with them along the way.
At first I was a bit confused and was in a hurry to help the kids at my assigned school. However, through assigned readings and classroom activities I was able to learn that the children do not need our help, because that would imply that there was something wrong with them in the first place. I learned that if I approached my service learning as if I were helping, it would imply that I was in a position of superiority. This mindset also means that the people being "helped" feel more insecure about themselves, while the person "helping" gathers nothing from their experience. Instead, I learned to approach my service learning as an exchange. I had something I could offer to the kids, while each of them could teach me something in return. The more I interacted with the kids, the more I found this to be extremely true.
I was assigned to Ord Terrace Elementary School in Seaside, CA where I worked with kids ranging from 2nd to 5th grade. On a weekly basis my group had to develop lesson plans that included different aspects of Japanese culture. The tricky part was creating lesson material that kept the children interested and occupied. At first, the lessons would go faster than expected and we would have to improvise or use some material from the next week's lesson. However, we eventually got the hang of it and our lesson plans stabilized as the semester went on. Perhaps the trickiest part of service learning was handling kids who misbehaved. It was hard because we had to refrain from using authority, but by using the information we learned in class, my group was able to adapt and relate with the students on an equal level. Most students in the class were Hispanic, and we were able to learn a great deal of their culture through daily interactions. Before long I felt there was a mutual trust and respect between everyone in the classroom. Throughout the whole process I felt like I was able to learn a great deal about the children and their culture. On a daily basis we would all talk, play, and do things outside of our Japanese lessons. Often times during our lessons the kids would teach us Spanish versions of the word we were trying to teach in Japanese, or Hispanic versions of culture that was similar to Japan. In this sense, I really felt like I was able to exchange a wealth of knowledge with the kids at Ord Terrace Elementary School.
At first I was a bit confused and was in a hurry to help the kids at my assigned school. However, through assigned readings and classroom activities I was able to learn that the children do not need our help, because that would imply that there was something wrong with them in the first place. I learned that if I approached my service learning as if I were helping, it would imply that I was in a position of superiority. This mindset also means that the people being "helped" feel more insecure about themselves, while the person "helping" gathers nothing from their experience. Instead, I learned to approach my service learning as an exchange. I had something I could offer to the kids, while each of them could teach me something in return. The more I interacted with the kids, the more I found this to be extremely true.
I was assigned to Ord Terrace Elementary School in Seaside, CA where I worked with kids ranging from 2nd to 5th grade. On a weekly basis my group had to develop lesson plans that included different aspects of Japanese culture. The tricky part was creating lesson material that kept the children interested and occupied. At first, the lessons would go faster than expected and we would have to improvise or use some material from the next week's lesson. However, we eventually got the hang of it and our lesson plans stabilized as the semester went on. Perhaps the trickiest part of service learning was handling kids who misbehaved. It was hard because we had to refrain from using authority, but by using the information we learned in class, my group was able to adapt and relate with the students on an equal level. Most students in the class were Hispanic, and we were able to learn a great deal of their culture through daily interactions. Before long I felt there was a mutual trust and respect between everyone in the classroom. Throughout the whole process I felt like I was able to learn a great deal about the children and their culture. On a daily basis we would all talk, play, and do things outside of our Japanese lessons. Often times during our lessons the kids would teach us Spanish versions of the word we were trying to teach in Japanese, or Hispanic versions of culture that was similar to Japan. In this sense, I really felt like I was able to exchange a wealth of knowledge with the kids at Ord Terrace Elementary School.
Lesson Plan Sample.pdf | |
File Size: | 173 kb |
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Site Reflection Sample.pdf | |
File Size: | 63 kb |
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Service Learning Final Presentation.pptx | |
File Size: | 1267 kb |
File Type: | pptx |