As I was thinking of somewhere I wanted to volunteer, immediately I knew I wanted to volunteer somewhere that would be enjoyable for me, and for me that would have something to do with children or school. At first I thought about my I-Search and going to help out my fourth grade teacher, then I was talking to Marjan and she mentioned she would be helping out at our own school with the Special Education classes. For me, it was a great idea because I have always been interested in getting to actually know these students and see the way that they went about their days at school. These children are the ones that you see going around the school and picking up the recycling from each class, or you even see them sometimes playing basketball outside just enjoying their time. Although I still haven't spent all that much time with these students yet, they have already made a difference to me, and ultimately I'm glad I decided to volunteer in Ms.DeLeon's class.
The very first day going in, I was a little hesitant and shy. The first person to talk to me there was Ethan, and he said "Hey! Your jacket says Sacramento on it, that's the capital of California!", and because of his excitement I found that I was happy to be there. I walked in and saw the students at tables, either eating or playing games, and other students on the computer. Cosmo, another student there told me I'm her "best friend ever". Seeing how happy these students get to have visitors and see new faces is really awesome, it kept a smile on my face. So after about five minutes I was sitting at the table with Cosmo, Marjan, Sheena, and Alxea and we were all just talking, drawing, and having a good time together. For me it's great to see how all the students are always so enthusiastic and happy, and it really makes me think that we take the simplest things for granted. Also, seeing how they looked up to their teachers, especially the way Cosmo looked up to Ms.DeLeon was great, they have such a great relationship with their teachers and it is people like those teachers who are willing to do what many people wouldn't that truly make a difference in these children's lives. Ms.DeLeon talked about how repitition was very important so her students are able to get the hang of things and it doesn't make things so complicated for them, and she also mentioned how important it was for them to get the kids to interact with the community around them. These kids go on plenty of trips, for example they have recently gone to Target and it is always a good time for everyone that goes and helps them become better with their skills of interaction. The next day, I spent lots of time with Sheena and Cosmo again, two very wonderful girls, who are just like anyone else, even though people may think or say otherwise. We drew more pictures and Cosmo even wrote my name on a paper and drew Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana, who she loves. Sheena really enjoys drawing and even drew me a picture (it's on Marjan's blog post)! I look forward to spending more time with all theses students and trying to get to know them all.
After only a couple of hours with the students in Ms.DeLeon's class I already feel like I have made a bit of a difference. I talked to my mom and a few friends about the volunteering I did and it's nice that people care to listen and tell me that I'm doing a good thing with this. Ever since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to make a difference in the lives of young children by becoming a teacher, and being in a class with these students has really made me think about becoming a teacher that gets to help teach and make a difference in the lives of children who do really need special attention. So far, my volunteering in that class has pretty much just been drawing and interacting but I would like to do more than just that, and hopefully I am able to as I continue to volunteer there.
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