Service Learning Project

Hey guys! For my service learning project, I helped out a kindergarten class back home in Hope Mills.  Since my major is elementary education and the grade I want to teach is kindergarten, I spoke with a teacher at Gallberry Farms Elementary who happened to be my sister's kindergarten teacher.  I told her about what I had to do and she was completely on board with letting me use her class as my project.  Kids hold a very dear spot in my heart and working with these children was very special to me.  It's amazing how much they look up to someone who works so close with them.  I went and spent every Friday with them for 5 weeks.  During that time, I was able to work one on one with each student and learn a little bit about them and help them in the areas that they needed the most help in.  For instance, there is one little boy who always gets in trouble and gets sent to the principle and has even been suspended twice this year.  While I was there though, I was able to make a connection with him and eventually, I was the only person he would listen to and stopped getting in trouble as much.  Also, a precious little girl became very very close with me.  She always wanted to be around me and one day she was sitting with me and told me that her mommy had left her and moved away cause she didn't want to be with her or her siblings so now she only has a daddy.  This absolutely broke my heart and I just hugged her and told her I was always there if she needed me.  She then proceeded to tell me that she wishes her mommy loved her like I did.  Each child is so different and so special in their own way.  The days that I was there, I would read stories to them and help them learn to read and have them read some stories to me.  I would also help them in their math lessons.  The teacher would break the class up into three groups and the groups would rotate through different sections between the teacher, the assistant and myself.  Just helping these precious children out and seeing the improvement with all of them during these few weeks is so rewarding.  This project has really helped me realize that teaching is my calling and especially teaching kindergarten.  Even though this class is over now, I will continue to go to their class until they are out of school.  I have made such a connection with all of these kids and I want to continue to see them grow and succeed!