Service Learning Journal 3

After a challenging second day at service learning I was ready for anything on my third day. As I walked into the classroom things were going smoothly as they always have with Mrs. Berry finishing up her lesson. For recess we were able to join the kids outside. A kindergardener wanted me to play with him at recess and we ended up running all over the playground and going down each slide. I was fun to be able to have fun and run around with the students because it could take away some of the stress from the day.

I was starting to grow even more closer to this class because I was getting to the know the kids even more that before. Some students were starting to get in trouble and I think some part of it comes with the fact that they are getting more comfortable around the other service learning student and me. They are also starting to talk back to us which is a new challenge to face. One student kept joking around with me when I told him to keep writing. He just laughed and kept goofing off until I finally explained to him that he would get in trouble if he did not sit and work on his writing.

During their usual Friday spelling test I walked around observing each student's test. I was surprised to see some of the students had a hard time with the simplest words. It makes you wonder what it is that makes these students fall behind other students. On the other hand I saw students who seemed too smart for their age. After their test was over the students could draw on the back of their test. One student was drawing the home page of the google website and drew the bottom a of a computer screen with the start button on it. The first thing I thought was that when I was his age I was drawing flowers and animals not the google web page.

After their test was over they got to sit on the big rug in the front of the class and listen to Ms. Carmen read a story to them. She did an excellent job of getting the students involved in the story. The first thing she had them do was determine what the story would be about just by looking at the cover. Many of the students just looked at different objects on the cover and assumed the story would be about that until one student said that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Ms. Carmen asked them questions throughout the book and each student was so eager to answer even if it may have not been the right answer.

The last thing of the day was the learning workshop again. They had the same groups and same activities to participate in. I was in charge of the poetry again but with a different group. This group of students did not struggle that much with their reading skills but had a problem paying attention. I wanted each student to follow along while one read but as I helped a student with a word I would look up to find another student looking in the opposite direction or closing their booklet. It was a struggle to keep each student focused but I managed to have them all following along and reading with the group.

I find myself being tested each week in this second grade classroom but it is building up my patience and helping me learn the proper way to discipline. It is hard for me to be stern with children because I just want to laugh along with them but being a teacher comes with certain responsibilities that I am quickly picking up and understanding each day in this class.