On the bus ride to St. Charles I talked with the new director of BBBS about how my time with my little is going. I mentioned to her that I want to become a full-time community big next semester, which means I must talk with my little about meeting either on Wednesdays or any other day of the week. I am not sure what this will entail on her end, but I am hoping it will work out!
Before we started reading our journals today, I asked her if she had any homework to do. When I asked this question, she sort of shrugged off the question until I asked to see what was inside her take home folder. Once she opened that, she named at least three things she needed to do! She had been sick this past week a couple of times so she had to do quite a bit of make-up work. We found three worksheets to do, and our incentive was reading the journals when we were finished. The first two worksheets were practice with homonyms. One had her write each homonym next to another (i.e., matching) and the other had sentences where she chose from two different homonyms to put in the blank. After helping her with the first few questions, she understood the concept of homonyms and was able to complete the rest easily. One thing I stressed was not only writing the words but understanding what each one meant. For example, she had the words "beat" and "beet." I asked her to define both words before she moved to the next question. I was really impressed at how well she was focusing!
The last worksheet worked with symmetry. She had to draw a mirror image of an object over the line of symmetry. At first she kept saying "this is too hard" and "I don't think I can do this," but after I helped her understand how to gage where to draw the lines, she was able to do the rest with little trouble. I was there for her to ask questions and to listen to her work outloud.
Next we read our journals! I noticed while she was reading mine that she was having difficulty reading some of the words I wrote. Next time after she finishes reading mine, I want her to write down the words she cannot say well or does not know on a separate sheet of paper. We could then look in a dictionary or talk about the word's meaning outloud. I told her about my spring break trip to Florida and about how we will not be meeting next week. She was a disappointed, but I told her that I would bring pictures and write in my journal everyday. I encouraged her to do the same!
I was really impressed at how well she concentrated during this time of intense homework and reading! We finished the day by playing Uno and Jenga.
I am so thankful that she was willing to work through those worksheets with me. I think it helped us develop more trust and let her know that I am always here to help, not criticize, the work that she is doing. Maybe it is a start to igniting a drive in her to enjoy learning - something she is not too crazy about right now.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
February 20th
In last week's blog journal I noted that I contacted my little's third grade teacher. I asked to see if there was anything I could do to help with her performance in any areas. This was her reply:
"Every week she has spelling sentences to write using the words for the week. Often she has trouble with meanings. You could help her with this. Basic math facts and telling time are a concern too. I will appreciate anything you do."
This week when my little came, I asked her if she had any work to do in her bag. She said a brief "no" and we continued playing. I am not sure if she is being honest about not having any work or if she does not want to do it during the time we spend together. We occasionally read books she brings home, but other than that, she tells me she has no work to do.
One thing her teacher would like to see improvements on is her spelling. To help with this, next time I hope to read a story with her, and as she comes across words she struggles with or cannot define, she can write them on a piece of paper. After we are finished with the story, we could make our own spelling test and use the dictionary to define the words she does not know. We could even translate them into Spanish to help with comprehension.
I also wanted to comment on my little's writing in our journal. Two weeks ago I asked some questions about the both of us, like what some of our favorite things were and some other basic information. She said she did not finish answering all of the questions, and this provided a perfect opportunity for us to answer the questions outloud. We each took turns answering and she wrote down our responses on the paper. On the following pages of the journal, she reflected on a birthday part she went to in beautiful print. In the past we have talked about printing and how it is really easy to make our letters and words sloppy. I could tell she put a lot of effort into this week's entry. Though of the spelling and sentence structure were incorrect, this was yet another great opportunity to talk about how to write a proper sentence (i.e., period at the end of a sentence, capitalizing the first letter of a sentence, etc.). She also wrote another page in cursive, which was very well done! When she focuses and takes time to review her work, she is very successful. I also think it helped to read the journals in a separate room (we went to the library) because it was much more quiet.
For the rest of the time, we wrote cards to each other. I made her and her sister a poster for their door at home, and she made me a very encouraging card. It was extremely encouraging to know she is enjoying when we meet!
Next time I hope to bring some interesting childrens books - ones that I really enjoyed when I was younger - so we can begin working on spelling. If she is up to it, I may even ask her to give me a spelling test, maybe with the words she is learning for the week! I may also bring some math games and some more art materials.
"Every week she has spelling sentences to write using the words for the week. Often she has trouble with meanings. You could help her with this. Basic math facts and telling time are a concern too. I will appreciate anything you do."
This week when my little came, I asked her if she had any work to do in her bag. She said a brief "no" and we continued playing. I am not sure if she is being honest about not having any work or if she does not want to do it during the time we spend together. We occasionally read books she brings home, but other than that, she tells me she has no work to do.
One thing her teacher would like to see improvements on is her spelling. To help with this, next time I hope to read a story with her, and as she comes across words she struggles with or cannot define, she can write them on a piece of paper. After we are finished with the story, we could make our own spelling test and use the dictionary to define the words she does not know. We could even translate them into Spanish to help with comprehension.
I also wanted to comment on my little's writing in our journal. Two weeks ago I asked some questions about the both of us, like what some of our favorite things were and some other basic information. She said she did not finish answering all of the questions, and this provided a perfect opportunity for us to answer the questions outloud. We each took turns answering and she wrote down our responses on the paper. On the following pages of the journal, she reflected on a birthday part she went to in beautiful print. In the past we have talked about printing and how it is really easy to make our letters and words sloppy. I could tell she put a lot of effort into this week's entry. Though of the spelling and sentence structure were incorrect, this was yet another great opportunity to talk about how to write a proper sentence (i.e., period at the end of a sentence, capitalizing the first letter of a sentence, etc.). She also wrote another page in cursive, which was very well done! When she focuses and takes time to review her work, she is very successful. I also think it helped to read the journals in a separate room (we went to the library) because it was much more quiet.
For the rest of the time, we wrote cards to each other. I made her and her sister a poster for their door at home, and she made me a very encouraging card. It was extremely encouraging to know she is enjoying when we meet!
Next time I hope to bring some interesting childrens books - ones that I really enjoyed when I was younger - so we can begin working on spelling. If she is up to it, I may even ask her to give me a spelling test, maybe with the words she is learning for the week! I may also bring some math games and some more art materials.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
February 13th: Almost Valentine's Day!
Today I prepped for many different things: I brought an art activity, my journal, some fun questions for a game, and a small Valentine's day gift for my little.
The first thing my little said was that she forgot her journal. I hope she is not starting to think it is an assignment or a task she has to complete. We decided we would save mine to read for the next week so we each had something to share.
Instead of diving right into a sitdown activity or game, we played "tossing the big purple ball" with the group. She really likes to be active and is always asking if we can play game, so I thought this would be the best way to start out.
After a while of playing the game, I set up the art activity I brought, which was popscicle sticks and glue! She was hesitant at first when I asked her if she wanted to make something with me. I said she could glue the sticks in a square-like formation to make a pencil holder or any other design. After she started gluing a few sticks together, she started to notice the pattern the sticks made as you stacked them on top of each other. After the first couple of minutes she was hooked and wanted to make it as tall as she could. Other people also came over to make their own designs. This reminded me of when I first met my little and how she loved making things with her hands. She also opens up more when we work with our hands. She not only expressed her excitement over the activity, but she also answered a lot of my questions about school and her teacher. I will definitely have to keep thinking of ideas like this that keep her attention.
Speaking of her school performance, I have contacted her teacher and am hoping for a response soon. I asked the following:
______________________________________________________________________________________
This is Kelly Moon, my little's big sister through BBBS. I hope all is going well in your classroom, and that you had a fun time during your Valentine's Day party!
Mentoring with her has been a wonderful experience thus far. There is nothing more rewarding and humbling than to see a child open up and begin to enjoy spending time with you. We have continued writing journals back and forth, and have spent the majority of our time playing group games, making art projects, and simply talking. One thing that we have not discussed openly is her school work. She recently mentioned that she does not do well in some areas, and I was hoping that communicating with you may be beneficial.
I have noticed that she has trouble with spelling and writing. Do you also notice this in the classroom? From what we have talked about, she seems to know what subject areas are hard for her. As her mentor, I am curious if there is any way I can provide assistance during the time we spend together. Here are a few questions that I have:
*What is she usually assigned for homework? We usually do not do anything except occasionally read a few stories she has in her bookbag.
*What subjects does she have difficulty in/ would benefit from extra assistance? I am willing to spend part of our time together going through any areas that she needs help with.
If you think this would be worthwhile, please let me know! I am willing to help in any way possible!
______________________________________________________________________________________
I hope this leads to something great! My little's teacher is a great woman and really cares for her kids' well being.
The language barrier for ESL students is something I have become more passionate about throughout the last couple of weeks. In ED 330, we are trying to address, "How do you make strategies that are effective for all students effective for ESL students?" There are many effective strategies for teaching literacy in an English speaking classroom, but these are going to lose their influence as classrooms become more and more diverse. Teachers will need to have the drive to not only teach literacy, but to also teach it in a way that is comprehendable to all. I have been visiting an ESL classroom at Jefferson Elementary School, and my eyes have been opened to the impact of an effective ESL classroom on the students. I must look more closely at these strategies to see whether or not they can be brought to my one-on-one time with Monica. My most prominent goal, however, is to maintain trust and friendship; I want her to improve her school performance and yet still view me as an encouraging friend.
Before leaving, I asked my little if there was anything she would really like to do next time, and she said she would like to write cards to each other. This will be a great opportunity to break out the many art supplies I have!
The first thing my little said was that she forgot her journal. I hope she is not starting to think it is an assignment or a task she has to complete. We decided we would save mine to read for the next week so we each had something to share.
Instead of diving right into a sitdown activity or game, we played "tossing the big purple ball" with the group. She really likes to be active and is always asking if we can play game, so I thought this would be the best way to start out.
After a while of playing the game, I set up the art activity I brought, which was popscicle sticks and glue! She was hesitant at first when I asked her if she wanted to make something with me. I said she could glue the sticks in a square-like formation to make a pencil holder or any other design. After she started gluing a few sticks together, she started to notice the pattern the sticks made as you stacked them on top of each other. After the first couple of minutes she was hooked and wanted to make it as tall as she could. Other people also came over to make their own designs. This reminded me of when I first met my little and how she loved making things with her hands. She also opens up more when we work with our hands. She not only expressed her excitement over the activity, but she also answered a lot of my questions about school and her teacher. I will definitely have to keep thinking of ideas like this that keep her attention.
Speaking of her school performance, I have contacted her teacher and am hoping for a response soon. I asked the following:
______________________________________________________________________________________
This is Kelly Moon, my little's big sister through BBBS. I hope all is going well in your classroom, and that you had a fun time during your Valentine's Day party!
Mentoring with her has been a wonderful experience thus far. There is nothing more rewarding and humbling than to see a child open up and begin to enjoy spending time with you. We have continued writing journals back and forth, and have spent the majority of our time playing group games, making art projects, and simply talking. One thing that we have not discussed openly is her school work. She recently mentioned that she does not do well in some areas, and I was hoping that communicating with you may be beneficial.
I have noticed that she has trouble with spelling and writing. Do you also notice this in the classroom? From what we have talked about, she seems to know what subject areas are hard for her. As her mentor, I am curious if there is any way I can provide assistance during the time we spend together. Here are a few questions that I have:
*What is she usually assigned for homework? We usually do not do anything except occasionally read a few stories she has in her bookbag.
*What subjects does she have difficulty in/ would benefit from extra assistance? I am willing to spend part of our time together going through any areas that she needs help with.
If you think this would be worthwhile, please let me know! I am willing to help in any way possible!
______________________________________________________________________________________
I hope this leads to something great! My little's teacher is a great woman and really cares for her kids' well being.
The language barrier for ESL students is something I have become more passionate about throughout the last couple of weeks. In ED 330, we are trying to address, "How do you make strategies that are effective for all students effective for ESL students?" There are many effective strategies for teaching literacy in an English speaking classroom, but these are going to lose their influence as classrooms become more and more diverse. Teachers will need to have the drive to not only teach literacy, but to also teach it in a way that is comprehendable to all. I have been visiting an ESL classroom at Jefferson Elementary School, and my eyes have been opened to the impact of an effective ESL classroom on the students. I must look more closely at these strategies to see whether or not they can be brought to my one-on-one time with Monica. My most prominent goal, however, is to maintain trust and friendship; I want her to improve her school performance and yet still view me as an encouraging friend.
Before leaving, I asked my little if there was anything she would really like to do next time, and she said she would like to write cards to each other. This will be a great opportunity to break out the many art supplies I have!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
February 6th
Today I was greeted by my little by surprise! She jumped out from around the corner and tried to scare me, but ended up scaring the person in front of me instead!
My goal for today was to do some homework if she had any. I asked her right away if she had anything in her bag. She said, "Yep! I have my journal and some books to read." We started by going through our journals. She wanted to read mine first again. In my journal, I put a list of fun questions that I encouraged her to answer for next time. She asked, "what if I do not know the answers to all of them?" I told her to do her best and to not worry if she does not know some of the answers.
Something surprised me about her journal. Last time I was concerned about the spacing between her words and her spelling. In her most current entry, she wrote one page in a messy format where the words were all connected. On the next page, the writing was much more neat and was spaced correctly. I pointed out this difference and asked her if she could also notice it. She said that one was very messy and one was much better. Although some of the words were spelled incorrectly, I praised her for the improvement and decided we would focus on spelling for next time.
Today was a another GREAT day of progress. I showed her some pictures I had brought of my sister and my new baby nephew. She said I looked nothing like my sister! She also really liked the picture of the baby; I think she related in that she has a younger brother.
We also painted flowers for a short time, and then went to find the teachers lounge where puppy chow was being made! While eating it, we played "hi-ho Cherry-o!" Later we read part of a book and played volleyball and tag with the larger group. I feel like she is trusting me more and more each time and is learning to appreciate the time she has with me, as I am with her. There aren't really any words to explain this type of friendship. I am most thankful for the opportunity to help her discover her passions and goals.
My little's sister is now part of the program. I am hoping she is also gaining a lot from this experience, and maybe it will provide more ground for them to bond as well.
My goals for the remainder of the semester:
* Learn more about my little's academic abilities and find avenues to help
* Learn more about her family life and thoughts about school
* Develop more effective ESL strategies through my ED 330 class and find ways to apply them to my mentoring.
* Look at ways to embrace her Spanish language and culture.
What I hope to do next week:
* Make a game about improving her spelling in her journal.
* Bring a variety of Valentine's Day activities to choose from.
* Bring some fun quizes I found as well as some fun worksheets that develop greater critical thinking skills and knowledge of random facts.
My goal for today was to do some homework if she had any. I asked her right away if she had anything in her bag. She said, "Yep! I have my journal and some books to read." We started by going through our journals. She wanted to read mine first again. In my journal, I put a list of fun questions that I encouraged her to answer for next time. She asked, "what if I do not know the answers to all of them?" I told her to do her best and to not worry if she does not know some of the answers.
Something surprised me about her journal. Last time I was concerned about the spacing between her words and her spelling. In her most current entry, she wrote one page in a messy format where the words were all connected. On the next page, the writing was much more neat and was spaced correctly. I pointed out this difference and asked her if she could also notice it. She said that one was very messy and one was much better. Although some of the words were spelled incorrectly, I praised her for the improvement and decided we would focus on spelling for next time.
Today was a another GREAT day of progress. I showed her some pictures I had brought of my sister and my new baby nephew. She said I looked nothing like my sister! She also really liked the picture of the baby; I think she related in that she has a younger brother.
We also painted flowers for a short time, and then went to find the teachers lounge where puppy chow was being made! While eating it, we played "hi-ho Cherry-o!" Later we read part of a book and played volleyball and tag with the larger group. I feel like she is trusting me more and more each time and is learning to appreciate the time she has with me, as I am with her. There aren't really any words to explain this type of friendship. I am most thankful for the opportunity to help her discover her passions and goals.
My little's sister is now part of the program. I am hoping she is also gaining a lot from this experience, and maybe it will provide more ground for them to bond as well.
My goals for the remainder of the semester:
* Learn more about my little's academic abilities and find avenues to help
* Learn more about her family life and thoughts about school
* Develop more effective ESL strategies through my ED 330 class and find ways to apply them to my mentoring.
* Look at ways to embrace her Spanish language and culture.
What I hope to do next week:
* Make a game about improving her spelling in her journal.
* Bring a variety of Valentine's Day activities to choose from.
* Bring some fun quizes I found as well as some fun worksheets that develop greater critical thinking skills and knowledge of random facts.
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