Getting to my first VIPS experience was not easy by any means. I got extremely lost on the way to the elementary school. Despite the fact that I not only received directions from a fellow classmate, she even drew me a map in class! I’m not surprised, I get lost in my own backyard. But in my defense, the fairly new and nice looking small brick building had no sign claiming what it was. Thank goodness I left my house an hour and a half in advance.
This small elementary school is next to a brand new high school and behind a dumpy middle school in a depressed area of Providence. I even heard a couple cat calls and whistles over blasting music played by random men driving by me as I walked in, gross! Even though I had these negatives thoughts in my mind upon entering, I never thought twice that the people inside would not be pleasant and welcoming. I also never thought twice that the students would not be open to learn and be inspired and in return inspire me.
This is because I have prior experience interning with underprivileged 7th graders in downtown Providence. I made the mistake of walking into that building thinking that the students would be closed off to my help. I was pleasantly surprised at how willing and eager they were to learn! This past experience with 7th graders mirrors my current experience with my 5th graders with VIPS.
There was a bell to get buzzed into the building which made me feel safe not only for myself but for the students inside as well. They deserve this kind of security. I found the secretary to be very helpful as I told her it was my first day with Ms. Multiply* she walked me all the way to her classroom and told me to have fun. As I walked to the classroom I was happy with my surroundings, very clean school. The teacher was completely prepared for me, knowing who I was as I stepped in. All the students were eager to know my life story and sit and be around me. I told them I am a student just like them at RIC, they were very impressed. I continued to tell them that if they work hard in school and with me as a work with them, they soon will be in my position.
I observed the classroom environment for the remainder of the day. I found that the students respected their teacher. They were behaving appropriately as the teacher went over the math lesson and gave a spelling bee. I noticed that they were looking over at me often, almost as if they wanted to show off how good they could act. I could tell the teacher appreciated her student’s behavior with the smile on her face and her pleasant tone. Is this how every session is going to be? Is it really this easy? Boy, did time show something different!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
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Hi Courtney!
ReplyDeleteI loved your introduction of this certain blog! The way you described the neighborhood and school building was very interesting. Isn’t Providence a wonderful place?! Haha Thank goodness you left early though! It is always a good thing to be early rather than late or exactly on time :)
Your enthusiasm about the whole “tutoring” experience is great. By the children knowing that you are happy and willing to help, they will feel comfortable within the classroom. In your blog I love how you said “I continued to tell them (the students) that if they work hard in school and with me as I work with them, they will be in my position.” By hearing a younger adult say these words, I bet the children wanted to hear more of what you had to say. You seemed very positive and encouraging by telling the students to stay in school so they can be just like you – a role model. I believe children look up to younger adults and to their teachers. I don’t know if you noticed, but in my classroom the students are always looking for a way to hog the teacher’s attention, therefore the spotlight is on them. Students are in need of attention. I am sure you understand what I am talking about. Did you see that on your first day of tutoring?
What I would like to know - Did you have more time to talk to the students in between lessons? If so, what did they have to say? Were they shy? Were they scared to know someone else beside the teacher was in the room? If so, how could you tell?
I can relate to your experience on the first day of tutoring because I also noticed that there was a bell to get buzzed into the building. This also made me feel safe not only for myself, but for the students as well. This type of security is a necessity in all schools. A safe school means a safe classroom for the children and teachers. Therefore, I assume you felt comfortable in the school knowing that you were safe.
Keep up the good work! I can’t wait to hear about your other VIPS experiences!
Hey, I know that we are at the same elementary school and I'm guessing that I'm the classmate who gave you directions - or attempted to haha! I could also get lost in my own backyard (if it were big enough) so sorry I wasn't much help with directions. I was also nervous about finding the school and a place to park so I ended up driving around Providence the night before looking for it. Turns out that the school is only like 10 minutes from my house! Unlike your experience I did not hear any cat calls or whistles.
ReplyDeleteI did like your description of the area and for the most part agree with it. I also agree with your point about feeling safe in the school as far as security wise. One day I was there and we had a fire drill - it was more efficient than the fire drills I had experienced even in high school. My first impression of the school was similar to yours. However, time did tell a different story! Sounds like you really enjoyed the experience. Good luck in your future teaching experiences!:)