Raiza Perdomo

This is more of a reflection of multiple service learning experiences. I have been a little bit busy so I haven't had the chance to sign in and reflect on my experiences each day.

So, on Tuesday I went over to Oakcrest Elementary School to complete the first lesson of my junior achievement lessons. I was in Mr. Paskus's class, which I was surprised to find out that there were only eleven students in his class. I thought it went pretty smoothly at first. I tend to talk very fast. So when I gave them a brief bio of myself as the introduction to the lesson the teacher said I was zooming through that pretty fast. I did not realize it at the time though probably because I was so nervous. The students were very cooperative and listened to everything I said. As usual there were a few students that were eager to tell stories that really had nothing to do with what we were talking about. But, they were very adorable. When I asked them what their parents, family members or neighbors did for a job their answers were interesting. Most parents worked at Burger King, Wal-Mart, Salvation Army, or cleaning houses. The students when I asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up mostly said a teacher just like Mr. Paskus. But, one very cute student said, " I want to be a trucker." So the lesson was pretty much a success and I will be back there next Tuesday for the following lesson.

I then volunteered at Ward Highlands Elementary School on Thursday in Mrs. Hank’s first grade class. I was there from 12-2 so pretty much the end of their school day. The class was very vibrant. She had a frog theme going on. Everything from number lines to book bins the frogs were swarming the place. The class is not very big only 17 students and only 4 of the students are Hispanic or Black. None of the students are English language learners. Also the teacher said that they’re all pretty much close to the same levels of learning except one student. Student J was just placed in her class a week ago but he is very advanced. She creates an entire different curriculum for him because she knows that he can handle it. Student J's parents want to advance him in to second grade but the teacher is encouraging them not to because he is very immature. Though he is very bright she does not feel that he is ready to go into second grade. I think he's parents will be taking him out of Mrs. Hank’s class.

Though, I really enjoyed being in her classroom I left with a headache. She is a very good teacher but she is very...how do you say...anal. :-) She yells at the students for every little thing. She spends more time saying, "Excuse me! I believe I was talking..", "That's funny I thought I was talking...""Hmmm last time I checked I was the teacher and use should be listening to what I am saying". Very sarcastic and just too much.

On Friday I went back to Mrs. Hanks class for the whole day. That was an experience I had never been at an elementary school from start to finish. It was apple day so it was crazier than usual. The students began class by watching the teacher make applesauce. They then listened to her read about apple fractions. Afterwards they molded Play-Doh into apples/balls and cut it into fractions using dental floss. I was going around making sure they could cut the Play-Doh with the dental floss. She then rotated with three classes. So she did the same lesson 4 times. Each class had different behavioral problems. The first class was pretty much like her class so they listened to her. But, the second group opened with one student saying, " I don't want to play with Play-Doh." Which of course the teacher replied, "That's great. No one asked you to. Please sit down." He later then played with the Play-Doh. The last class, one student was just wandering around for five minutes before she began and she just stared at him in amazement. He looked lost. :-). Then that was a wrap. All her students came back to her class and then watched a video on Johnny Apple seed. The video was hilariously bad. The spent the day making Johnny Apple seed puppets and doing fraction worksheets.

Finally, lunch came and the students went there way and I headed to another first grade teacher's classroom with Mrs. Hanks. She has lunch with two other first grade teachers every day. You think they would talk about television, family or gossip. But, they spend their entire lunch talking about their students. To top that they don't even talk nicely some of them openly criticize the parents and the students. The teacher actually said "I can't believe that little fat black boy that came into my class today he was so fat he couldn't cross his legs." To me it seemed just a little under the belt. There six and seven years old. Student J is always the topic of conversation at lunch. Mrs. Hanks despises him. In class he told me that he would not be in class on Monday and the she asked why. He responded that he wasn't allowed to tell her and I guess she couldn't get over that. She ranted on how he was a little smug brat for 10 minutes. It seems their lunch is complied of "do you think you have it worse" banter, where the problem students are the main topic. I hope in my entire career that I never turn into Mrs. Hanks. She may be talented in teaching curriculum but her attitude is sour. She is the middle-aged white America teacher who squirts antibacterial liquid on her students hands, demands them to be quiet, pay attention, look at me, sit still, and follow my way of everything. She expects her students to act and be like the way she was raised. The students who have the worst behavioral problems in her classroom...surprise the 4 students of different backgrounds.

Another sad incident was when a female Hispanic student picked up the book Dick and Jane to read in her free time. She whispered into one the classmate’s ear and then said to the teacher, while pointing to the word Dick, "this is a bad word." The teacher made a scene that could have won her an Oscar. She yelled at the girl and made her feel like she had just committed a crime. She called her "perverted" and "disrespectful". Then asked her to put her book away and sit at her desk with her head down. The little girl practically shrank right in front of you while the whole class was paying attention and the teacher yelling at her. Maybe I'm insane but why not just pull her aside and talk to her about. What do you gain by making her feel two inches tall?

I know I am being a pretty harsh critic of Mrs. Hanks. She's been teaching for 15 years. She's got to be doing something right. But, I just find her attitude too much. I have her for a another week so maybe my thoughts will change.

Oh and by the way I learned that students no longer learn Spanish in elementary school or at least at Ward Highlands. They don't have enough funding to teach them a second language. But, high schools do. It makes a lot more sense to teach them a second language when they are younger and can absorb it better then in high school.

So I taught on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I observed a lot, and basically graded papers. I hope to read to the students soon and maybe help the students with their reading or math. Something other than grading papers and putting smilies on them.