Level Up! From Elementary to Junior High Kids

Seventh grade students (left to right): Randy, Andrew, and Raymond doing their homework out in the field since the weather was so nice out today.

So two weeks ago, I went to Parkmont Elementary School to tutor and help elementary school students with their homework. Unfortunately, the library was closed due to STAR testing coming up for the elementary school. So this left me unsure where to go volunteer next. I said in my previous post that I would go work at Bronco Brainiacs, an after school program at Brier Elementary School. I currently still am aiming to work there, however because of the sudden amount of work and tests that came up this week, I didn't get the chance to go ask the school if I could volunteer there. Instead, I turned to a small homework program at Walters Jr. High. My younger brothers (they're twins) are seventh graders attending the junior high school so I was able to to go over and volunteer there for today. Originally Brier Elementary was my second choice, but due to the short amount of time and the amount of work that suddenly came up on me this week, Walters was my third option. I chose to go to Walters because it was close to my dad's and brothers' house, so walking to my dad's house and a couple extra minutes to get to the school was no problem for me. Once again, I chose to work as a tutor because I enjoy helping kids with their homework and because this time the students were junior high students, I was able to give them advice for the next few years. After all, within two or three years, these middle school students will be heading off to high school.

When I arrived, I went to the office to get a visitors' pass and then went on campus to find the teacher in charge of the homework program. Unfortunately the head teacher wasn't there, but the other teachers let me volunteer anyways. When I asked to take pictures, they said the same thing as the librarian did at Parkmont, I needed parental permission to take pictures of the students. Fortunately, my brothers happened to be there and their friend too, so I asked if I was allowed to take a picture of their friend and their friend, Andrew, said yes. Of course, since the other two students happened to be my brothers, I doubted that I needed their permission.

While working at the program, students were allowed to do homework at the field since they didn't want to be cooped up inside. So the majority of the kids went outside to do their homework and to play around. My brothers, Randy and Raymond, along with their friend Adrew, went outside to do their homework. It was pleasant for them maybe, but I didn't appreciate the fact that I was going to be sitting on a grass field, under the hot sun, and helping them with their homework. However, I sucked everything up and continued to work for no blazing temperature would stop me. Sometimes while helping them with their math homework, I asked Andrew if he liked being in the program. His response: "Not really, but I'm at least with my friends and finishing up homework at the place where I can get help." I wasn't really surprised at his answer, after all, it was a Friday and most students thought after school programs were just a waste of time. However, I was satisfied at how he acknowledged the fact that he's at a place where he could get help with his homework. I asked my brother Randy what the program was like usually. He probably found it weird how I was interviewing him, but he answered, "It's usually quiet for those who need serious help with their homework. But other times, it's just loud or normal where everyone is just doing their homework and then they go home."As I worked, I noticed how the other volunteers were actually helping and explaining to the junior high students on how to correctly achieve the answers on their homework. These volunteers are better than the ones back at Parkmont since three of them stuck together like a pack and were just talking or gossiping. One girl even had the nerve to have her phone out in the open. However at Walters, the volunteers were spread out and they were focused completely on the students. I think there's a big gap between elementary school students and junior high school students. Despite elementary school students are easier to help out with their homework, middle school students seem to understand and grasp the concept of their homework instead of just trying to get the whole thing done. I hope I can continue to work at Walters or I'll just see how big of a difference it is to go from a homework program to a real after school program at Brier Elementary.

here's to a busy weekend!

As the next due date for my equity project was getting closer, I was pretty much freaking out because I had no clue whatsoever about what I should do. The places I tried contacting before wouldn't  answer my call or give me hours to work before the project was due. So, I couldn't get it done at time.
        I have auto shop during my 5th period and we are just busy for the car show that's going to take on tomorrow, May 12th. I figured I could just work there and get my hours done but the due date was today. So, I went there today after school, in fact I am typing this right after I came back home. I was there from 3p.m till 8-8:30p.m. The work we did was pretty tough because we had to set up things for tomorrow's show, make raffle baskets and all kind of stuff was going on. I was given a leaf blower and was told to sweep the whole parking lot that's next to the shop, that's pretty hard job for someone who has never used one of those before. I was given a two minute instruction on how to start the thing and how to close it, that's all. So, I was there for about 1 and half hours working my butt off in the hot sun trying to blow the whole parking lot and make it look clean. I had few helps but they were all using broom sticks, which wasn't really getting any work done. As soon as I was done with it I had to work on making canopy for tomorrow. It was pretty tough to since I had no clue how to work with those either.
         The work was pretty tough but it was fun too, because you had bunch of people in there working hard for tomorrow's show and best part there were pizza's too. I have to wake up 5:30 in the morning and get there by 6 to help because the show starts on 7 and ends at 8 in the night but of course I gotta be there much later than that to help pack up. So, that's a lot of hours for me. Its gonna be a busy weekend.

Hand for a Learner !!!!!!

 For my Equity project I continued working at ELD tutoring for English. This time it was very fun because there were few tutors with many tutees. I picked my old tutee Sajjad and Rafiullah because, I knew them very well and I could control them on their behavior. When we enter in the class Sajjad wasn't there so, I had to go to his class and pick him up, he was really shy to come because he didn't want people to know that he don't talk in English. 

 As i started working with them Sajjad had no clue what he was suppose to do so, he started making fun of Rafiullah, as Ms. Dennar-Vera got mad i had to teach them something so Sajjad started reading the book, "House on the Mango Street" as we were reading Rafiullah said," Mango is a fruit than how can there be a house on it..." LOL i started laughing so bad over there i got very embarrassed. This time Sajjad really learn some words which were very hard. Few times i messed up on tutoring and he started to tell the teacher in my language that i was not a good tutor and he wanted someone else. As i slpped him he got ok and really paied attention and now i feel proud of my self that i really thought him something. As i teached Rafiullah, he started messing up with me about "BADIR". I started threatening him with somestuff and told him that after this he can bug me as much as he want to, he really did his I-Search project which was really good. after class he bugged me so much that i really kicked him and bit him up. It was the best moment in my life.

 Me teaching the crazy boy (Rafiullah)

Sajjad reading to me.

 As long as i know, I am going to keep tutoring at the ELD Class. I like helping this people. they are here to learn they don't make fun of your accent and everyone accept each other very well, we are like a family. I feel bad for few people like Sajjad who can't speak english very well and don't want others to know of that or else they will start making fun of him. This place is really fun for me and them, we have a lot of fun than ever but, at the same time we always teach them something new. 

 

Helping Other Help Themselves

My time spent at Viola Blythe was a success. It feels good to be able to give back to a community that we are so much a part of. Although it is a great experience to be able to reach out to a community, it is a shame to see that not all American people can be equal. I believe that spending time on this project has made me reflect deeper on what people as a whole share in common. I think the most important thing that some of us, although not all of us, share is the feeling of need to reach out to those who are a little less fortunate. Hunger is a tough thing to deal with day in and day out. This volunteer center may have helped me see that. Viola Blythe is a great place to volunteer. It has given me so many people to learn from because since it is so small, it has a nice personal note to it. I spoke with a fellow volunteer who was much older than me, but still young at heart. She told me about why she chose this place and what makes her feel good about it. Both of our insights were very similar.

The woman I spoke to, who's name I cannot remember, was so kind to the people whom she volunteered with as well as the people who we were helping. It was refreshing to talk to somebody who has seen so much in life, and work along side her. When I asked her why she does volunteer work, she turned to me in excitement. She told me that she does volunteer work because of the type of enlightenment it brings out in us. Truly, I couldn't agree more with what she was saying. In its most basic form, any form of volunteer work feels good because, when done properly, is out of the goodness of an individual. I took a second to think why I had been there, and I remembered that it was for a project. Maybe I had forgotten about that because in the end, I think I will return to Viola Blythe for more volunteering even after the equity project is through. I continued to think about this as I was filling up quart size bags of pinto beans and white rice. They are packaged at Viola Blythe to ensure that everybody gets the same amount, as well as to make giving them out easier. Even though I didn't get to learn everything I wanted to about the donation center I worked at, maybe that is not what is important. I've come to realize that the importance of what we are doing is to help us expand our minds into trying new things, and helping people along the way. It is a building experience and has helped me not only become thankful for the things that have been given to me and my family, but also to realize that improvements can always be made.

Prop 49

So volunteering at Cabrillo is still awesome. Honestly these are pretty good kids, they know what to do when they have volunteers there and how to treat us. Except for that one little boy that was pretty rude, he still is, Jazmin and I ask him if he needs help with his homework and he rudely responds, "NO!" and keeps doing his homework. I mean were only there to help, if you don't need the help then its ok, but dang that boy could use a lesson or two on manners. Other than that the school is awesome the kids do what is expected of them and Mrs. Lorraine is there to make sure that happens.

So last Wednesday we went to go volunteer and boy were we in for a surprise. Apparently every Wednesday everybody goes out to the soccer field and we all play soccer! I was so excited when they told us this. So we got there and we helped kids with their homework until about 3:45p.m. From that time until 4p.m. was set up time and Eddie set up the goals and some other guys brought out the jerseys and when everything was ready Eddie and some other guy were captains and they chose the teams. Once the teams were chosen it was on. We put on our either yellow or orange jerseys and began to just play. There was about 8 volunteers and a lot of kids, I don't even know how many, but it was a huge soccer game. After about 15min. the first goal was scored and my team was losing. Jazmin's team was winning, and we tried to catch up, but it wasn't working. They had a really good defense, and I had to leave and they kept playing the game. I don't know which team won, but I will find out next week.

Overall its been great volunteering here I've had a blast. I'm really looking forward to the next Wednesdays and I will go prepared with proper shoes and shorts so I can run and help my team more. Last time I played more defense because I wasn't feeling to comfortable, but this Wednesday its on, I'm going to play upper mid-field. This was the position I used to play in when I used to play soccer. I am really looking forward to this.

 From left to right: Yvonne, Jazmin, me, Luis

This is us with our jerseys on at Cabrillo about to play soccer!

Givivg them a chance to learn more?

Ye took this photo for me when i was helping the girl on her homework.

   Since the place that i volunteered at last time is not available anymore, I need to find another place for volunteer. Founding a place for volunteer is not that easy, and it also need to be something that you are able to work at and interested in, otherwise there's no point for doing the volunteer. I talked to Ye about the volunteering last week and he was volunteering at the math tutor at our school. I was quite interested in it because it's at school so i don't need my parents to drive me to volunteer, and also, I like tutoring and helping the student. The math tutor is on every Thursday and there are different kinds of math tutor. There is tutor for Geometry, Algebra 1 and 2, Statistics, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus.

   We went to the math tutor on last two Thursdays. We was thinking about which subject should we choose to go tutor at and we picked Geometry.  When we got to the classroom, we saw a few kids and they were doing their homework. We went to talk to the teacher of the class, Mrs Suen. At first, she thought we were there for getting tutor but we told her that we were their for volunteering for our equity project. So, she told us to find somewhere to sit and do our homework or read, and help the kids when they rise their hands. I sat there and i was doing my homework, and i saw a girl rising her hand. She asked a question on how to find the area of shape that are combined with a cube and a pyramid. I told her to separate the shape into the cube and pyramid first so it will be easier to do the calculations. Then , i showed her the formulas of both of the shape and asked her to tell me what she needs to do with the formula. She showed me and she finally got the answer. I asked her if she has any other questions and she said no, so i just told her to ask me when she has any questions later on. Then , I helped another kid with a question that requires to find the volume of a pyramid. When i was helping him to find out the formula, Ye walked to us and helped us to find the equation. And we helped the kid together to help him to understand and finish that question. When i finished helping the kids, i went to talk to Mrs Suen. I was surprise that she is also from where i am from, HongKong, and we talked for a bit. Soon, most of the kids finished their homework and Mrs Suen told us to pack up because it's almost four. We left at four and we thanked Mrs. Suen.

   I think this was a good experience because it's different to teach high school kids. Before, i usually volunteered at Parkmont Elementary and teaching elementary kids is harder than teaching high school kids. Elementary kids might sometimes no listen to me and I need more patient to teach them. But teaching the stuff of the elementary kids is easier than high school. Tutoring for after school programs can helps lots of kids. Not all the family have money to afford private tutor outside of school, so the school tutoring programs actually help those kids that need help on homework and study.

Helping youth

Well for a while I didn’t really get any chances to help with that same organization. So I decided to help out with the youngsters, I mean I always get asked and I thought it would be nice to give back. With so many little ones asking me constantly to teach I decided to take a risk and teach. Part of teaching youngster is patience and the other is techniques. Since helping out kids comes naturally to me it didn’t feel like volunteering it felt typical like a favor. My mom says “I’m a terrible babysitter case I don’t charge.” Well I do it for my own pleasure so it isn’t like a big deal to me. I can easily care for a child given the resources.

So that night I had a couple maybe five kids to teach or keep entertained. I tried a movie but didn’t last long they lost interest so I made up games. I don’t even remember the rules I mean I had some of them ask me to play the same game later on and I was clueless of the game. So they kind of played the game with different or some of the same rules and they had as much fun.

Later on I moved into the nursery or changed shifts I started teaching a baby how to walk so with a baby and five other kids things turned hectic when the older ones started to misbehave so I carried the baby and took all the 5 children and sat them out separately for a moment till they were capable of behaving themselves. It only took a few minutes for me to get everyone on the same page. So it wasn’t bad.   As the night ended and I gave them back to their parents they were happy again and they all understood why the timeout was given. I personally explain why they can’t play and have to sit quietly in timeout case I want them to learn that even though I’m bubbly and nice to most situations they still need to respect me, their classmates and the elderly.