Today we had ice cream and played ball games inside in the gym. There was a small fight that occurred between two boys while we were playing basketball. I got them to stop yelling at each other at first, but then, eventually, one of the boys got frustrated with the game and walked away very upset. An intern and I tried to calm him down, and the intern proposed that the child go play soccer instead, and the child agreed. What I learned from this interaction was it's important for a child to step away when things get frustrating, to talk the child through these emotions, and changing the activity. After this, I continued to play ball games and do dances with the girls (they had cheerleader pom poms). This was my last day at the YRCC, and I am going to miss coming every week and hanging with these kiddos and the staff.
Today was my last day volunteering, and I was sad to say goodbye to all the kids. To make the final day special, we made ice cream sundaes together, and seeing their excitement as they piled on the toppings reminded me how much these small moments matter. After our treats, we headed to the gym and played ball tag, running and laughing until everyone was worn out. As I said my goodbyes, I felt grateful for the time I got to spend with them, and even though it was hard to leave, I know I'll carry these memories with me.
For my ninth service learning session at the Yvonne Richardson Community Center, we started with snack time, but because the kids were being very loud, we had a short silent time to help them calm down. Afterward, we headed to the gym where we played ball tag and then tried playing basketball. Once we finished in the gym, the other interns and I helped clean up by wiping down the bleachers, putting away chairs and tables, and organizing the blocks. I left right after we finished cleaning. It was a busy but productive session!
I got to meet new kids that I haven't spoken with before during snack time. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the brownies that the kids made, including me. One older child asked another volunteer what my name was, but would not ask me directly. At the same table, all of the girls were playing a game where they put an item under 1 bowl and would mix around the bowls. The purpose of the game was to find the item. It was a lot calmer in the cafeteria this week, and the children seemed to get along with each other better this week. I encouraged the children to interact more, and tried to make interactions more silly and fun.
Yesterday me and the kids just played basketball until somebody kicked the ball, so then it was soccer, and then we all just ran around the gym for no reason, and after that we made box brownies that came out a little crispy but nobody complained. It was nothing deep, just a sweaty, silly afternoon with a bunch of kids who wanted to play and eat sugar. I showed up, we did exactly that, and honestly it was a good day.
For my eighth service learning session at the Yvonne Richardson Community Center, I was only able to stay for an hour because I had a meeting scheduled later that afternoon. We started with snack time, during which the kids watched a TV show together. After snacks, we moved to the gym and played a fun game of indoor soccer, where I joined in and ran around with the kids as they kicked the ball and scored goals with lots of excitement and laughter. It was a short but energetic visit, and I was glad I could still spend some quality time playing with them before having to leave.
Today's service learning was a lot of fun! We started our day with snack time, which was held inside, so I got to sit with the younger students and interact with them! We talked about our favorite colors and played simple guessing games. During this time, some students struggled with taking turns, so I guided them to participate fairly. This allowed me to practice giving firm but gentle directions to achieve a desired outcome. I was also responsible for taking students to and from the restroom and monitoring individual students when they needed to step away for a restroom break or water. After snack, the students moved into the gym to play dogeball while I swept the snack room. After cleaning the snack room, I spent the rest of my time cleaning the front entrance and lobby. I also wiped down all light switches and vacuumed the carpets in the main entrance.
During this service learning, I learned how to give firm directions in a gentle tone that would encourage compliance without making a child feel yelled at or in trouble. I also learned how to better assert my authority without making the child feel less than. In addition, I learned how to converse and play with children on their level and how to ensure each child felt included in those conversations and games.