Above all I learned how to mentor children, to be someone that they could go to in the darkest of times and find someone to shine in a bit of.

During my time spent at North Elementary School I noticed kids acting the same way I did when I was younger; hanging out with those they knew best, sharing toys and forming close ties with their closest allies. As a young boy I never thought twice about a little debate over which toy was better, or voting to have a friend of ours go and get something for the group, but after maturing academically I noticed that what they were doing shared many of the same features that are prevalent in government.

As a political science major I have learned a great deal about society, when and how it functions best. I noticed that children acted as politicians in their own right. One day in particular stands out as showcasing these young politicians. It was one of my first days in the program and I was supervising the children during their snack time. At one point some of the kids needed more napkins to clean up so they held a mini debate over who should go and get them. Just as a figure in government would, they debated who had done the most in the past, and even bartered a bit, one child in particular saying that if another got the napkins he would do something at a later point. Eventually the group of kids (there were about five of them) took a hands in the air vote to determine who would get the napkins.

Though this may be at a very primitive level these children were engaging in democracy, debating the pros and cons of a particular event then democratically deciding who would carry out the needed task. I may not have noticed it when I was younger, but now that I am older I have a far greater appreciation for the power of voting, no matter how important or, in the kid’s case, trivial the subject may be.

I had many insightful and important experiences at North Elementary, from consoling a lonely kid, to helping those with mental deficiencies; I learned the meaning of the golden rule…

‘To treat others as you would have them treat you’

I also learned how to be a role model for young people. When asked about my proudest moment by one of the students I talked at length about the feeling of satisfaction I got when I was accepted to college. I stressed the importance of education in advancing people in life, and how it is important to treat others around you with respect and dignity. I encouraged those who accelerated, telling them with enough work they could be the next Einstein, and I waited behind for the slower children, staying with them until they found the answer, or wrote the word right.

In addition to learning a large number of practical skills in working with children I learned a lot about myself and what I would like to do with my life. I have always had an interest in teaching; to share the knowledge that I have been blessed with and to pass it on to others less fortunate. After working with the children at North Elementary school, and the subsequent feelings of happiness that engulfed my mind afterwards I have a renewed interest in being an educator at some point in my life. I would like to volunteer with children again, from those in elementary to high school, when I looked at a lot of these kids I saw not just a young and naïve child, but also the future of our country.

Students: What did you learn today?

Before starting the program I had my fair share of doubts about my ability as an educator and role model for young kids. I didn’t know if, being an inpatient person, I would have the patience to assist children, whose brains are just begging to develop, for long periods of time. I doubted my ability to connect with the kids being an adult, and above all worried that the children would not like me.

I appeased a lot of these fears by calling one of the smartest women I knew; someone who raised three successful kids and was there every step of the way, I called my mother. It was my mother who told me not to worry, to be confident in myself and to treat others as I would have them treat me. She told me to be patient and understanding with the kids, to treat each one as an individual and pay them the respect they deserve.

I also called many of my friends who had volunteer with children in the past, all shared the same sentiment; for good or bad, through thick and thin, whether they liked their experience or not, their time spent volunteering made them who they were and a better person because of it.

After spending a couple of days at North Elementary my doubts were cast out the window; I was well liked by the children, sought after for help and advice, and even engaged them in intellectual meaningful conversations. Looking back I think that my time spent volunteering for Kaleidoscope made me a better person, and added a whole new realm of experiences to draw on in future endeavors.

Having completed my service learning project, I am quite honestly sad to see it end. Since my first day I thoroughly enjoyed coming to volunteer every Monday and Wednesday, even sneaking in a few extra days when possible. When I was at the school I felt like I was making a difference in some way, however big or little. Some of the times that I look back with the most fondness on were those spent helping the kids with homework and seeing the kick kids got out of finally solving that impossible math problem, or when they learn new words. End as it may, I look back with fondness on my time spent at North Elementary. I made lots of friends, from the other volunteers to the site coordinator, as well as all the students, my time there didn’t feel like school, it felt fun!

Thank you very much Ms. Wood for (a) informing me about the class mid semester, and (b) for helping me find such a good agency to work for. In fact I may be back at some point next year to sign up for another course. Thanks for everything and have a great winter break!

P.S. Sorry if some of the fonts were hard to read, I’m not the best color matcher