During the trip to St. Charles and back, I loved talking with all the littles about their Thanksgiving break. Everyone did something different, and I loved how each little really wanted to share their exciting news.
I have realized in the past few weeks how my little has grown so much more comfortable speaking her native language amongst the other littles. They have bonded so much and feel comfortable around all of the bigs. This has not only been a one-on-one mentoring experience, but also a group bonding experience where we have come to interact and learn about each other.
The trip to WSU was incredible once again. I could tell that they loved coming back; they all knew exactly what they wanted to see and knew exactly where the icecream was :).
I felt like my little took in the most when we went into the library. She was really quiet and was looking at everything there was to see. I will never forget the expression she had on her face when we walked up to the third floor of the library; She could not believe how many books there were, and she also paid close attention to the students studying below on the second floor. She was wondering what they were doing, and I told her they were studying for their final exams.
Going to the science lab was amazing! All the littles had a bunch of energy, and I was really impressed at how well Bruno Borsarri handled their excitement. My little was especially fascinated by the crickets. I remember at one point some of them were released on the floor and she was the first one to pounce at it! I didn't know she was fearless of bugs!
Cynthia Porter from the Winona Post asked me if I would like to be interviewed for an article entitled "Amistad." I agreed, and I just recently replied to her questions with the following:
I was first interested in this course because I have a desire to work with the Latino population in the future. I am an elementary education major at WSU and I am looking into completing a Spanish minor. My goal one day is to study abroad and also teach Spanish-speaking children in South America.
This class has provided me with more opportunities than I could imagine. Each day in class we discuss current issues affecting the Latino population in the United States, including border and identity issues, immigration laws and concerns, literacy and education, and more. Everyday we learn something new and discuss how this has affected Latinos and also how we can become more open-minded, humble individuals in a diverse world.
Mentoring at St. Charles has provided more insight into the culture and education of Latino children. In class we have learned that Latinos are prone to more educational difficulty, but as a mentor, I hope to reveal opportunities and emphasize optimism in my little's future. On Wednesdays, my little and I do a variety of activities together. One thing we both enjoy is writing to each other in a journal about our week. Every Wednesday we share what we did and what we enjoyed and then switch journals for the next week. This has been a great way to not only learn about my little's likes and dislikes, but to discover new ways in which we relate and have further conversation. We also read, do arts and crafts, and play group games. A couple of weeks ago, the class asked their littles to bring in pictures of their family and we did the same. This was the first time I saw my little truly open up and talk about her siblings and parents. It was an incredible bonding activity!
All the littles are energetic and willing to learn. They just need to find open doors that will lead them to a bright future.
__________________________________________________________________________________
I am really looking forward to next week! I hope we have an opportunity to talk with our little's parents and teachers. This will provide insight into both my little's life but also a glance into what my future will be like.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
November 14th: Our Last Normal Day of Mentoring
I was really excited to see my little today, and I think part of this excitement came from knowing that our relationship is more like a friendship instead of an authority-child relationship. When my little came to the room, she had a smile on her face and was anxious to show me the pictures she had brought of her family. She brought at least twenty of them, and for each one she told me a story about who was in it. This activity was amazing because she was finally able to show me and talk about something that she really cared about. After she showed me hers, I showed her pictures of my family, and now that she was comfortable talking, she asked me a lot of questions. I am surprised at how open and talkative she became!
Next we read through our journals like we normally do. I wrote my entry in cursive, which gave her some practice reading a different style of writing (currently in her class they are learning how to write in cursive). Over the weekend I had made some tie-dyed clothing during my sister's birthday party, and after she read that part in my journal, I gave her a shirt I had made her. She loved it and we decided we would both wear tie-die the next time we see each other!
During the rest of the time, we played with playdough and took pictures of our creations. We also played badminton - I brought my rackets from high school and taught her how to hit the birdie! I recently learned that my little is a very hardworker academically, but I also think she is a hardworker in other areas of her life. She was really determined to learn how to hit the birdie accurately, and I have also noticed she pays very close attention to detail when she draws and writes.
Something clicked during this meeting. Through sharing and being more open with each other in the beginning, we were more easily able to carry on conversation for the rest of the time. Two weeks will be a long time, but I know our next meeting will be full of interesting stories!
Happy Thanksgiving! :)
o>
<<>>
^
Next we read through our journals like we normally do. I wrote my entry in cursive, which gave her some practice reading a different style of writing (currently in her class they are learning how to write in cursive). Over the weekend I had made some tie-dyed clothing during my sister's birthday party, and after she read that part in my journal, I gave her a shirt I had made her. She loved it and we decided we would both wear tie-die the next time we see each other!
During the rest of the time, we played with playdough and took pictures of our creations. We also played badminton - I brought my rackets from high school and taught her how to hit the birdie! I recently learned that my little is a very hardworker academically, but I also think she is a hardworker in other areas of her life. She was really determined to learn how to hit the birdie accurately, and I have also noticed she pays very close attention to detail when she draws and writes.
Something clicked during this meeting. Through sharing and being more open with each other in the beginning, we were more easily able to carry on conversation for the rest of the time. Two weeks will be a long time, but I know our next meeting will be full of interesting stories!
Happy Thanksgiving! :)
o>
<<
^
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
November 7th: Mindset Can Make a Difference
I really appreciated the short conversation I had with Dawn during our ride to St. Charles. It helped me vocalize where I think I am at with my little. We discussed comfort level, trust, and areas where I think we need improvement. It also put me into a positive mindset when I met with my little.
It was really nice to start our day by looking through the journal entries my little had made over the past two weeks (we were not able to talk about our weeks together because of the exciting activities we had planned!). My little really enjoys coloring and writing. I also learned today that she is a very hardworker and that this is reflected in her school performance. Her and I do not talk about school that often, and when I ask, she usually does not have much to say. To learn more about what she likes and dislikes, I want to bring in activities in different subject areas, including story ideas, math worksheets, cursive exercises, etc. She will not be required or forced to do any of the activities, but if she does choose to work on any of them, it will gain insight and learn ways to help her learn.
Today Melissa was not able to make it to St. Charles, so I incorporated her little into the activities I did with mine. We made bead necklaces, and both her and Melissa's little were more talkative than usual. Again I noticed that she is much more comfortable talking when she is looking at or working on something. We also wrote letters to her parents. This time I let her decide what to write; she had a much better idea of what to say and was not hesitant to ask me how to spell specific words.
One of my favorite parts of today was playing a game with some of the other littles. Everyone stood in a circle around a person in the middle. This person had a rope and spun around in a circle, and as the rope approached those standing around, they had to jump over it. It was amazing to see how entertained these kids could be with the simplist of materials :).
For the remainder of the time, we played "Go Fish!" with Melissa's little, Amanda, and her little. I felt like this Wednesday was definitely more light-hearted and that our conversations were more natural and mutual. I am excited for next week when we bring pictures of our families! When I asked her if she had any, she said she had TONS! I hope she remembers to bring them so we can share stories and learn more about each other.
Excited for next time,
Kelly
It was really nice to start our day by looking through the journal entries my little had made over the past two weeks (we were not able to talk about our weeks together because of the exciting activities we had planned!). My little really enjoys coloring and writing. I also learned today that she is a very hardworker and that this is reflected in her school performance. Her and I do not talk about school that often, and when I ask, she usually does not have much to say. To learn more about what she likes and dislikes, I want to bring in activities in different subject areas, including story ideas, math worksheets, cursive exercises, etc. She will not be required or forced to do any of the activities, but if she does choose to work on any of them, it will gain insight and learn ways to help her learn.
Today Melissa was not able to make it to St. Charles, so I incorporated her little into the activities I did with mine. We made bead necklaces, and both her and Melissa's little were more talkative than usual. Again I noticed that she is much more comfortable talking when she is looking at or working on something. We also wrote letters to her parents. This time I let her decide what to write; she had a much better idea of what to say and was not hesitant to ask me how to spell specific words.
One of my favorite parts of today was playing a game with some of the other littles. Everyone stood in a circle around a person in the middle. This person had a rope and spun around in a circle, and as the rope approached those standing around, they had to jump over it. It was amazing to see how entertained these kids could be with the simplist of materials :).
For the remainder of the time, we played "Go Fish!" with Melissa's little, Amanda, and her little. I felt like this Wednesday was definitely more light-hearted and that our conversations were more natural and mutual. I am excited for next week when we bring pictures of our families! When I asked her if she had any, she said she had TONS! I hope she remembers to bring them so we can share stories and learn more about each other.
Excited for next time,
Kelly
Thursday, November 1, 2007
October 31st: Halloween Extravaganza!
Today Amanda and I dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2 from The Cat in the Hat! I was so excited to see my little's reaction as she walked into the cafeteria. I saw her look around as she entered, and then once she spotted me, her jaw dropped! I had BLUE HAIR!
I really liked all the activities Amy set up for our Halloween party. My little and I first painted pumpkins, and while painting, we were able to talk about what we did during the day and what she was going to do to celebrate Halloween. She said that she was going trick-or-treating that night with her family. We next played Bozo buckets. She was really determined and threw the ball into all five of the buckets! We also played Halloween twister, made bead necklaces and bookmarks, played soccer, and went outside to play on the playground.
It was really good to see my little in her element again; both last week when she came to WSU and this week when she played with all her friends, she was speaking Spanish more openly and seemed more extraverted and comfortable. I also notice that she looks up to me for guidance and enjoys doing activities with me. She often asks me for permission to do different activities and asks me what we should do next. I usually turn the table and ask her what she wants to do, which, I think, shows that I value her opinion.
For the last two weeks she has not brought her journal, and I hope next week she remembers to write in it! I feel like that sets a foundation or a starting ground for each time we meet. I also have some goals for the remainder of the semester:
- To better understand her emotions and personality
- To learn more about her family and friends
- To make our time more interactive and encouraging.
'Tis all!
I really liked all the activities Amy set up for our Halloween party. My little and I first painted pumpkins, and while painting, we were able to talk about what we did during the day and what she was going to do to celebrate Halloween. She said that she was going trick-or-treating that night with her family. We next played Bozo buckets. She was really determined and threw the ball into all five of the buckets! We also played Halloween twister, made bead necklaces and bookmarks, played soccer, and went outside to play on the playground.
It was really good to see my little in her element again; both last week when she came to WSU and this week when she played with all her friends, she was speaking Spanish more openly and seemed more extraverted and comfortable. I also notice that she looks up to me for guidance and enjoys doing activities with me. She often asks me for permission to do different activities and asks me what we should do next. I usually turn the table and ask her what she wants to do, which, I think, shows that I value her opinion.
For the last two weeks she has not brought her journal, and I hope next week she remembers to write in it! I feel like that sets a foundation or a starting ground for each time we meet. I also have some goals for the remainder of the semester:
- To better understand her emotions and personality
- To learn more about her family and friends
- To make our time more interactive and encouraging.
'Tis all!
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